China Encourages Citizens to Marry, Have Children as Population Declines for Third Year

Population aging is a major concern in China, which is offering incentives for its citizens to marry or have children. Official statistics show that China has seen the number of marriages drop by more than 20 percent in 2024.

A young Chinese man and his girlfriend stood at the Luliang City Hall where they had come to register their marriage, proudly holding a bundle of banknotes they had received from the authorities to encourage them to get married. Luliang City

Due to the demographic crisis, Chinese provinces, including Shanxi Province in northern China, have taken the initiative to provide incentives for marriage or having children.

The city of Luliang in Shanxi province is offering a 1,500 yuan ($220) grant as part of the government's efforts to boost the birth rate, as 2024 marks the third year in a row that China's population is set to decline. While that amount is modest in China, in Luliang it represents about half the average salary.

Frequency of marriage

Young Chinese are becoming increasingly reluctant to marry, because of the economic costs, especially those of raising children, but also because the job market has become more difficult and delays the stability of couples.

When the Luliang Reward was announced in 2024, many netizens thought the assistance was too modest compared to the cost of living. But young people are flocking to the marriage registry office to take advantage of the assistance, which went into effect on January 1.

The award, for women under 35, is part of a series of measures taken by the city authorities, which also provide social assistance in relation to child registration and health matters.

But will this financial measure really be able to reverse the decline in marriage rates? Not so, says professional matchmaker Feng Yuping, who sets up matches between compatible men and women.

Most of her clients are women, and she admits in her office in Luliang that she has difficulty finding a husband for them.

"A man with a master's degree who works in a state-owned enterprise, an enviable position in China, will not be interested in a woman who works in government departments, even if she has a master's degree," Feng, 48, noted, adding that "some men's view of marriage is still a problem."

Women often get better educations and better jobs, but they are rejected because of their age, and some young women are sometimes reluctant to marry.

"Women now have a steady income" and can support themselves, so "sometimes they seem less interested in marriage," Feng explained, and "the number of suitable men is small."

Since marriage is a necessary step to having children in China, a decrease in the number of marriages automatically leads to a decrease in the number of births.

Across China, population aging is a major concern for the government, prompting incentives. For example, Shangyu County in central China offers financial assistance to any family with a second or third child.

In Tianmen, in neighboring Hubei province, parents with three children can get aid of up to 165,000 yuan (about $22,000), and local Chinese media reported that the measures led to an increase in the number of births in the city in 2024.

Source: AFP