China encourages marriages by offering to pay for weddings

Government is to pay a percentage of wedding expenses, covering dresses, banquets and honeymoons


The government of China is determined to reverse the country’s quickly falling birthrate.
It is doing this by offering cash to couples to encourage them to marry.

A fund has been set aside to reimburse newlyweds up to 8 per cent in matrimonial expenses, including alcohol, cars, flats, bridal dresses, banquets and honeymoon travels.
This was organised by the Ministry of Civil Affairs and financed by corporate donations.


Beijing is becoming concerned at declining marriage rates as young Chinese couples struggle with high housing costs and stagnant wages.

In 2017, the national birthrate fell even though the government had loosened its family planning policy to allow two children per couple.  The number of second-born children rose but this was not enough to make up for the drop in firstborns.