"When single people pass away, who inherits their estate? Does it go to the state?"
In China, at the recent Fourth High-Quality Innovative Development Exchange Conference for Estate Administrators, this question stirred up heated debate among the public once it was raised.
According to data from the National Bureau of Statistics, the number of single people in China is expected to surpass 300 million by 2025, accounting for 25% of the total population—a massive demographic.
As the proportion of singles increases, real-life difficulties around estate management for the unmarried have begun to emerge. These challenges can be roughly summarized as follows:
First, there is a lack of statutory heirs. After all, no one knows when an accident might happen, and the current Inheritance section of the Civil Code bases inheritance rights on blood relations and marriage, which makes appointing estate managers for singles even more complex. Especially for those without children, there is a lack of a “natural” or legal estate manager.
According to Article 1127 of the Civil Code, first-order heirs are spouses, children, and parents. Single people have neither spouse nor children, and their parents may have already passed away or be too elderly to manage affairs. Second-order heirs are siblings, grandparents, and maternal grandparents. For those born in the 1980s and 1990s, there may not be any siblings at all or they may be unreachable.
In other words, for singles without children, the statutory heirs list is almost blank—making the estate an unwanted “hot potato.”
Second, the inheritance is uncertain. Without a will, the estate might end up in the hands of distant relatives who haven’t been seen for years, or even confiscated by the state and auctioned off for public welfare—which is exactly the “wealth drifting” that many singles worry about most. Public reports show that, in judicial practice, if a deceased leaves neither heirs nor a will, some estates do end up going to the state, with the local Civil Affairs Bureau acting as administrator. After estates are taken over by the state, for the sake of convenience, the Civil Affairs Bureau will usually choose the most reliable, legal, and least controversial option: auctioning off sellable assets and transferring the money to a state welfare account.
Third, digital assets are even more troublesome: Living alone, no one knows where you keep your wallet, and if your digital accounts, foreign investments, or crypto keys are not accessible, they are permanently locked. This is undoubtedly a new-age digital asset management dilemma.
Fourth, singles with long-term cohabiting partners often face disputes over asset ownership. Simply put, if you cohabit without registering a marriage, and the house, car, and money are all under one person’s name, there is no legal basis for division in the event of a breakup or death. Business equity held “in trust” based on a verbal promise is impossible to prove. Even beloved pets can’t be written into wills; after you’re gone, who pays to care for them depends on goodwill, as the law offers no help.
Essentially, the core of the issue regarding the estate management of China’s 300 million singles is the structural conflict between an inheritance system based on marriage and bloodlines and increasingly diverse lifestyles. In short: When 300 million singles encounter “inheritance laws designed for marriage,” there is a legal gap that leaves estates “running naked.”
In fact, Japan has already provided an early example: According to media reports and the Supreme Court of Japan, 129 billion yen (~32.34 billion ringgit) went unclaimed into the national treasury in 2024 alone—nearly triple the amount recorded in 2013. The Japan Research Institute pointed out that among elderly people who pass away, the proportion of unmarried individuals is rising, and more people have no close relatives. “No one to inherit” has become the new normal.
In response, some industry insiders have suggested that in future legal amendments, property rights for de facto partners should be recognized—for example, allowing cohabiting couples of five years or more to claim a share of jointly held property. They also recommend strengthening the build-out of estate administrator registries in procedural law, with civil affairs departments and relevant professionals forming expert teams to ensure will validity.
For these idealized proposals, some civil law scholars hold different views: singles are not “special people” under civil law, but ordinary natural persons. Most problems can be addressed within the existing legal framework. The best way to prevent assets from going astray is simply to make a will in advance.
For now, singles should fully recognize the special, complex, and risky nature of their own estate management: the best approach is to proactively list assets, clarify intentions, and choose beneficiaries (partners, friends, or charities). Don’t forget pets and collectibles. Wills should be updated annually to keep up with life's changes.
If you want to skip inheritance disputes, singles can also set up a “living trust”—directly transferring money to a trust so that, upon your death, the trustee distributes it according to your instructions. But this process is complex and requires a professional lawyer. If you want to leave your assets to friends, partners, or charities, be sure to have it witnessed by a lawyer, record it on video, and include hospital proof of sound mind, to ensure the will is authentic. Improper handling may provoke intense disputes among relatives.
Ultimately, choosing to stay single is a personal decision, but behind a free and romantic lifetime, don’t forget: Don’t let your assets become a posthumous maze of wealth that brings unnecessary trouble to those around you.
According to data from the National Bureau of Statistics, the number of single people in China is expected to surpass 300 million by 2025, accounting for 25% of the total population—a massive demographic.
As the proportion of singles increases, real-life difficulties around estate management for the unmarried have begun to emerge. These challenges can be roughly summarized as follows:
First, there is a lack of statutory heirs. After all, no one knows when an accident might happen, and the current Inheritance section of the Civil Code bases inheritance rights on blood relations and marriage, which makes appointing estate managers for singles even more complex. Especially for those without children, there is a lack of a “natural” or legal estate manager.
According to Article 1127 of the Civil Code, first-order heirs are spouses, children, and parents. Single people have neither spouse nor children, and their parents may have already passed away or be too elderly to manage affairs. Second-order heirs are siblings, grandparents, and maternal grandparents. For those born in the 1980s and 1990s, there may not be any siblings at all or they may be unreachable.
In other words, for singles without children, the statutory heirs list is almost blank—making the estate an unwanted “hot potato.”
Second, the inheritance is uncertain. Without a will, the estate might end up in the hands of distant relatives who haven’t been seen for years, or even confiscated by the state and auctioned off for public welfare—which is exactly the “wealth drifting” that many singles worry about most. Public reports show that, in judicial practice, if a deceased leaves neither heirs nor a will, some estates do end up going to the state, with the local Civil Affairs Bureau acting as administrator. After estates are taken over by the state, for the sake of convenience, the Civil Affairs Bureau will usually choose the most reliable, legal, and least controversial option: auctioning off sellable assets and transferring the money to a state welfare account.
Third, digital assets are even more troublesome: Living alone, no one knows where you keep your wallet, and if your digital accounts, foreign investments, or crypto keys are not accessible, they are permanently locked. This is undoubtedly a new-age digital asset management dilemma.
Fourth, singles with long-term cohabiting partners often face disputes over asset ownership. Simply put, if you cohabit without registering a marriage, and the house, car, and money are all under one person’s name, there is no legal basis for division in the event of a breakup or death. Business equity held “in trust” based on a verbal promise is impossible to prove. Even beloved pets can’t be written into wills; after you’re gone, who pays to care for them depends on goodwill, as the law offers no help.
Essentially, the core of the issue regarding the estate management of China’s 300 million singles is the structural conflict between an inheritance system based on marriage and bloodlines and increasingly diverse lifestyles. In short: When 300 million singles encounter “inheritance laws designed for marriage,” there is a legal gap that leaves estates “running naked.”
In fact, Japan has already provided an early example: According to media reports and the Supreme Court of Japan, 129 billion yen (~32.34 billion ringgit) went unclaimed into the national treasury in 2024 alone—nearly triple the amount recorded in 2013. The Japan Research Institute pointed out that among elderly people who pass away, the proportion of unmarried individuals is rising, and more people have no close relatives. “No one to inherit” has become the new normal.
In response, some industry insiders have suggested that in future legal amendments, property rights for de facto partners should be recognized—for example, allowing cohabiting couples of five years or more to claim a share of jointly held property. They also recommend strengthening the build-out of estate administrator registries in procedural law, with civil affairs departments and relevant professionals forming expert teams to ensure will validity.
For these idealized proposals, some civil law scholars hold different views: singles are not “special people” under civil law, but ordinary natural persons. Most problems can be addressed within the existing legal framework. The best way to prevent assets from going astray is simply to make a will in advance.
For now, singles should fully recognize the special, complex, and risky nature of their own estate management: the best approach is to proactively list assets, clarify intentions, and choose beneficiaries (partners, friends, or charities). Don’t forget pets and collectibles. Wills should be updated annually to keep up with life's changes.
If you want to skip inheritance disputes, singles can also set up a “living trust”—directly transferring money to a trust so that, upon your death, the trustee distributes it according to your instructions. But this process is complex and requires a professional lawyer. If you want to leave your assets to friends, partners, or charities, be sure to have it witnessed by a lawyer, record it on video, and include hospital proof of sound mind, to ensure the will is authentic. Improper handling may provoke intense disputes among relatives.
Ultimately, choosing to stay single is a personal decision, but behind a free and romantic lifetime, don’t forget: Don’t let your assets become a posthumous maze of wealth that brings unnecessary trouble to those around you.