The city of Changshan in eastern China is offering a "bonus" of 1,000 yuan (approximately $137) to couples where the bride is 25 years old or younger, in the latest effort to encourage young people to marry amid concerns over declining birth rates. An announcement posted by the official account of Changshan on WeChat last week stated that the bonus aims to encourage marriage and childbirth at an appropriate age for first-time married couples. It also includes support packages for childcare, fertility, and education for couples with children.
Concerns regarding the first population decline in China in 60 years and rising aging rates have prompted authorities to urgently implement measures to increase birth rates, including offering financial incentives and improving childcare facilities. The legal minimum age for marriage in China is 22 for males and 20 for females, but the number of people getting married is decreasing, which has led to a drop in birth rates amid policies that make it more difficult to have children outside of marriage.
Marriage rates reached a record low in 2022 at 6.8 million, the lowest level since 1986, according to government data released in June. The number of marriages last year fell by 800,000 compared to 2021.
