China eyes cash rewards, newlywed leave to reverse birthrate slump

Cities nationwide rolling out incentives in bid to fix demographic crisis

20230228 new born baby in China

A newborn at a hospital in China's Jiangsu province. The rapidly aging country recorded its lowest-ever birthrate of 6.77 per 1,000 people in 2022. © Getty Images

CK TAN, Nikkei staff writer

SHANGHAI -- China is rolling out cash rewards and boosting paid marriage leave in a bid to reverse its first population decline in decades, but the incentives don't sway people like Joyce He.

The 28-year-old, who plans to tie the knot next year in her hometown Hangzhou, which unveiled a plan last week to reward couples with a one-time grant of 5,000 yuan ($720) for a second child and 20,000 yuan for a third.

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