International

Beijing (August 29,2023) :  A Chinese province has announced a cash reward for couples who get married if the bride is 25 years old or younger. The policy is aimed at tackling the country's declining birthrate.

The province of Changzhou, in eastern China, will give couples 10,000 yuan ($1,500) if the bride is 25 or younger. The reward will increase to 20,000 yuan ($3,000) if the bride is 23 or younger. The policy has been met with mixed reactions. Some people have welcomed it as a way to encourage young people to get married and have children. Others have criticized it as discriminatory and sexist.

China's birthrate has been declining for several years. In 2021, the country's fertility rate fell to 1.15 births per woman, the lowest level since the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949. The government has tried a number of measures to boost the birthrate, including offering tax breaks and other financial incentives to couples who have children. However, these measures have had little effect. The policy in Changzhou is the latest attempt by the government to tackle the country's declining birthrate. It remains to be seen whether it will be successful.