'Leftover women' is China's mean nickname for single ladies aged 27+

There's an estimated 50 million single men in China, far outweighing the number of single women. So you'd think guys there couldn't afford to be picky — but you'd be wrong. Once single ladies hit 27, they're labeled "sheng nu" or "leftover women." It's not merely a cruel nickname. The term has been "aggressively disseminated" by state-run media, according to Beijing-based American sociology student Leta Hong-Fincher. The problem of leftover women has arisen because Chinese men reportedly tend to "marry down", preferring women who are both younger and less educated than they are. [Source]

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