China population: cash reward for couples if bride is 25 or younger in latest effort to boost marriages, births

Couples in Changshan county in the eastern Zhejiang province will be given 1,000 yuan (US$138) in cash if the bride is aged 25 or younger

Wedding registrations in China fell for the ninth consecutive year in 2022 as the overall population declined for the first time in six decades

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Last year, wedding rdegistrations declined to 6.83 million, marking the ninth consecutive annual decline and reaching the lowest level since the late 1970s. Photo: Xinhua

Published: 8:00am, 29 Aug 2023Updated: 12:59pm, 30 Aug 2023

A county in one of China’s wealthiest provinces has announced a cash reward for couples if the bride is 25 or younger – a first for China as it scrambles for new and efficient ways to incentivise births against an intensifying demographic crisis.

Changshan county in the eastern Zhejiang province announced last week that newlyweds will receive 1,000 yuan (US$138) in cash if the bride is aged 25 or younger. In China, the legal marriage age is 22 for men and 20 for women.

The move is in stark contrast with the prevailing sentiment in China since the late 1970s until the one-child policy was abolished in 2016 when the Chinese government promoted late marriage and late births, as well as fewer and better births, as part of its family planning campaign.

Last year, wedding registrations in China declined to 6.83 million, marking the ninth consecutive annual decline and the lowest level since the late 1970s.

In April, a district in Zhejiang’s Shaoxing city rolled out a list of pronatalist policies, including offering a gift package worth 1,000 yuan to newlyweds, although no age limit was specified.

Local governments across China have been rolling out a slew of measures, including cash awards and parental leave.

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