Bride prices in China have climbed rapidly over the past three decades. The sharp rise of incomes in better-off layers (jieceng 阶层 -- they don't like to say classes China which were abolished in the PRC under Chinese socialism) of Chinese society had some to do with it. Skewed sex ratios in favor of male babies owing to sex-selective abortion and sometimes better health care for sons (although the statistics were exaggerated by parents avoiding family planning fines) may be karmically resulting in more bachelors later on.