A 2003 law change means divorces can be obtained within one day

Some experts put the rise down to a change in the law which has made divorces easier to obtain.

Others say China's one-child policy has produced a generation of adults focused on their own needs and unable to sustain a relationship.

The government also reported that the number of marriages rose by 12%.

The rising divorce rate is part of a long-term trend.

Since China began its market reforms in the late 1970s, the number of people getting a divorce has quadrupled.

This has been exacerbated by a change in the law in 2003 allowing couples to divorce in a day, analysts say.

Previously, couples needed permission from either their employers or community committees to divorce.

The increase in break-ups did not mean that Chinese were losing faith in marriage, said Xu Anqi of the Shanghai Academy of Social Science.