City offers subsidy to newlyweds

Joining the chorus of voices encouraging births in China, a city in Shanxi province will reward newlyweds with a cash subsidy of 1,500 yuan ($210), the local civil affairs bureau said over the weekend.

Starting Jan 1, any couple who register their marriage in Lyuliang, Shanxi, are eligible for the reward as long as both parties are getting married for the first time, at least one of them has a household registration — also known as hukou — in the city and the bride is no more than 35 years old.

Couples may collect the money as they register at the civil affairs service counter, local civil affairs workers told news website ThePaper.cn.

The policy, which was announced last week, followed a circular aiming to comprehensively support childbirths and build a fertility friendly society that was rolled out by the nation's top authorities last week.

The announcement by Lyuliang quickly sparked interest among netizens, as most fertility policies so far have been subsidizing childbirths but not marriages.

Guo Li, head of the Lyuliang Health Commission, said that the cash subsidy, among eight other measures, was rolled out in response to the sluggish birthrate in the city.

A city of around 3.4 million people, Lyuliang saw about 22,000 births last year, a rate of about 0.66 percent. Although its rate was slightly higher than the national average of 0.64 percent, the city still recorded a drop in population of some 3,000 people.

Other measures in the city directly benefiting couples include a government-run matchmaking platform; a policy allowing 158 days of maternity leave and 15 days of paternity leave; subsidies of 2,000 yuan for a couple's first child, 5,000 yuan for the second and 8,000 yuan for the third; and free kindergarten and senior high school education at public schools for a family's second and third children.

Guo said the city will also open more nurseries and kindergartens, and incentivize their quality by offering monetary rewards for excellent services as well as charging their utilities at residential rates rather than commercial rates.

"The measures are trying to establish a service system that covers various stages throughout one's entire life, while also putting emphasis on marriage, births and education by introducing 'real gold and silver' subsidies," she said, using a term meaning that actual money will be provided.

The policy did not elaborate further on the stipulation of putting an age cap on the bride. A local civil affairs bureau official told ThePaper.cn that it may be related to childbirths, as pregnancy may be more risky for women of advanced maternal age.

Some locals believe that the policy may help foster marriages among young people.

"The policy showed the government's resolve in reversing the downward trend of marriage and childbirth rates," said Liu Yongquan, a 30-year-old Lyuliang resident, who told China Daily that he would consider marriage if he could find his better half. "The symbolic meaning of the subsidy outweighs the material benefits it carries."

Lyuliang is among many cities that have introduced favorable policies in recent years to encourage births, as the population in China is aging rapidly while fewer children are being born.