This Region in China Prepares a Cash Prize of IDR 2 Million for the Bride and Groom If the Woman is 25 Years Old or Under

Illustration of the Chinese bride. (Unsplash/East Meets Dress)

JAKARTA - A region in eastern China is offering incentives to married couples of 1,000 yuan (IDR 2,088,012), if the bride is 25 years of age or younger, the latest move to incentivize young people to marry amid growing concerns over declining birth rates.

The notice published on the official WeChat account in the Changshan county last week said the incentive was to promote "age-appropriate marriage and having children" after the wedding.

It also includes a range of childcare, fertility, and education subsidies for couples with children, as reported by Reuters August 31.

Alarmed by China's first population decline in six decades and a rapidly aging population, authorities immediately tried various measures to increase the birth rate, including financial incentives and increased childcare facilities.

The legal age for marriage in China is 22 for men and 20 for women, but the number of couples marrying is steadily decreasing. This has lowered birth rates, due to official policies making it difficult for single women to have children.

Marriage rates hit a record low in 2022 at 6.8 million, the lowest since 1986, according to government data released in June. There were 800,000 fewer weddings last year than in 2021.

Meanwhile, China's fertility rate, which is already one of the lowest in the world, is forecast to drop to a record low of 1.09 in 2022, state media reported.

On the other hand, the high cost of raising children and having to stop their careers makes many women delay having more children or even not having children at all.

Not to mention gender discrimination and traditional stereotypes, about women caring for their children are still widespread throughout the country.

Low consumer confidence and increasing concern for the health of China's economy are also the main factors cited by young Chinese who do not want to marry and have children.