Why Shenzhen is becoming a "city of leftover women"

 Direct Translation

A dangerous "city of leftover women" has emerged in China! Dozens of women are reportedly hunting down one man

- Nine women vying for one man: A surreal scene unfolds in Shenzhen

Reporter : Wang Duruo / Editor: Fang Xun / https://www.aboluowang.com/2026/0517/2384632.html / Image : Web Screenshot

Shenzhen, once touted as a "money-making paradise," is increasingly resembling a "city of leftover women."

Recent matchmaking events in Shenzhen have been almost entirely attended by women. Numerous highly educated, high-income, and attractive white-collar women filled the venues, while men were few and far between. One matchmaker even revealed that a man with a house and a car in Shenzhen could be surrounded by dozens of women vying for his attention.

While it appears to be a case of "women pursuing men," the underlying issue is a large-scale withdrawal of ordinary men from the marriage market in Shenzhen.

The problem is not simply that "women have high standards," but rather that ordinary men are finding it increasingly difficult to bear the cost of living in Shenzhen. The layers of housing prices, cars, dowries, education, social obligations, and other expenses pile up, making marriage in Shenzhen almost a "suicidal charge" for ordinary men without family support or high-paying jobs.

Many men do not want to get married; they are afraid to. A widely circulated saying hits the nail on the head: "It's not that I don't want to marry her, it's that I don't want her to suffer with me." Marriage today is no longer just about love; it is more like an asset assessment:

No house, out of the running; no car, points deducted; low income, eliminated; little savings, deemed "no future."

As a result, many ordinary men choose to leave Shenzhen, return to their hometowns, or even simply give up. On the other hand, a large number of highly educated women remain in Shenzhen. The problem is that the more outstanding a woman is, the fewer men meet the "upward compatibility" criteria.

This ultimately creates an absurd situation: ordinary men feel "unworthy of marriage"; high-achieving men have a wide range of choices; and many middle-class women are stuck in a "neither here nor there" situation.

Now, the Shenzhen dating market is even clearly shifting towards a "men's market." Many women over 30 are suddenly finding that education and income are not as advantageous as they imagined. With the economic downturn, the fantasy of "a domineering CEO falling in love with me" is being shattered by reality.

Even more dangerous is the growing societal narrative that "a man without money doesn't deserve to marry." This is destroying the lives of countless ordinary men. More and more people are becoming silent, refusing to date, marry, or have children.

Shenzhen is, in fact, just a microcosm of major Chinese cities. When marriage increasingly resembles resource matching, and love becomes more like cost calculation, the ultimate result is: men are increasingly hesitant to marry, women are finding it increasingly difficult to find partners, and the entire society is trapped in a cycle of low desire.

The so-called "city of leftover women" may not truly be about women, but rather about the increasing unaffordability of marriage for ordinary people.