BEIJING - Close to seven in 10 young Chinese feel the pressure from their families to get hitched, according to a survey by China Youth Daily.

State news agency Xinhua reported on Thursday (Dec 21) that over 85 per cent of young Chinese reported being pushed by older family members to get married, and more than 69 per cent said they felt pressure when being pushed.

"I plan to get married before 30, but my parents always ask me to find a boyfriend soon. It makes me anxious whenever they push me," Miss Hou Weiwei, 25, told Chinese media.

The survey, which questioned 1,984 people at or over the legal age for marriage in China - 22 for men and 20 for women - showed that almost half of the respondents were reluctant to chat with their parents because the topic of marriage came up so frequently.

It is such that almost a third of respondents said they were increasingly unwilling to go home, and over a quarter reported having doubts about themselves, said Xinhua.

Ling Zi, a member of Zhejiang Mental Health Association, said that parents and their children should be educated about what marriage entails.

"Young people should tie the knot after knowing their partners well, instead of rushing into a marriage because of age," Ling said.