Reports that the number of unmarried young people in China is estimated to exceed 200 million have astonished many people. People's Daily comments via its official WeChat account:

That number exceeds the populations of the United Kingdom and Russia combined. Many marvel: Are Chinese youngsters refraining from marriage? Has the "singles era" arrived?

But it is too early to draw such conclusions.

Moreover, the suggested number of 200 million is an old number, since as early as 2015, the number of unmarried youngsters in China had already reached that level. We should not confuse "unmarried youngsters" with "youngsters refusing to marry", as they are two different things. Quite a high percentage of the currently unmarried youngsters will settle down and marry eventually.

Therefore, neither wild guesses nor worries based on the figure of 200 million are necessary. The fact is that increasingly youngsters are choosing to marry later than before, and more choose to remain single. But it is each person's choice whether to tie the knot or not.

The story was widely spread because many parents worry about their children getting married and having children of their own. It is time for them to accept that the ideas of the younger generation may be different from their own.

Some youngsters spread the story with self-deprecating humor, claiming they find it hard to find a partner. But time will tell.

Although that problem does exist in the rural areas where the number of single men is more than that of single women.

Nevertheless, that number is nothing to worry about.