Cash vouchers for newlyweds as China tries to boost marriages
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The incentive is one thought up by the eastern Chinese city of Ningbo, and comes as the authorities look to boost interest in marriage and having children.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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HONG KONG - The eastern Chinese city of Ningbo will issue marriage consumption vouchers for couples who register their marriage between Oct 28 and Dec 31, as the authorities ramp up efforts to encourage young couples to wed and have children.
Marriages in China plummeted by a fifth in 2024, the biggest drop on record.
Declining interest in getting married and starting a family has long been blamed on the high cost of childcare and education.
Newlyweds can receive eight marriage consumption vouchers, worth a total of 1,000 yuan (S$183), Ningbo’s civil affairs department said on its official WeChat account at the end of October.
Vouchers can be spent on businesses including wedding photography, ceremonies and celebrations, hotel accommodation, retail and other marriage related sectors, the statement said.
“The vouchers are limited in quantity and will be distributed on a first-come first served basis,” it said.
Similar measures have also been implemented in eastern cities such as Hangzhou and Pinghu, which said cash vouchers would be offered until the end of 2025.
For the Chinese authorities, boosting interest in marriage and baby-making
China has the second-biggest population in the world at 1.4 billion, and it is ageing quickly.
Measures taken in 2024 by the authorities to tackle the problem included urging colleges and universities to provide “love education” to emphasise positive views on marriage, love, fertility and family.
Beijing has also told local governments to direct resources towards fixing the population crisis and spread respect for childbearing and marriages “at the right age”.
More than 6.1 million couples registered for marriage in 2024
