Cash vouchers for newlyweds as China tries to boost marriages

The eastern Chinese city of Ningbo will issue marriage consumption vouchers for couples who register their marriage between October 28 and December 31, as authorities ramp up efforts to encourage young couples to wed and have children.

Marriages in China plummeted by a fifth last year, the biggest drop on record. Declining interest in getting married and starting a family has long been blamed on the high cost of childcare and education.

Newlyweds can receive eight marriage consumption vouchers, worth a total of 1,000 yuan ($141), Ningbo's civil affairs department said on its official Wechat at the end of October.

Vouchers can be spent on businesses, including wedding photography, ceremonies and celebrations, hotel accommodation, retail and other marriage related sectors, the statement said.

"The vouchers are limited in quantity and will be distributed on a first-come first served basis," it said.

Similar measures have also been implemented in eastern cities such as Hangzhou and Pinghu, which said cash vouchers would be offered until the end of the year.

For Chinese authorities, boosting interest in marriage and baby-making is a key concern.

China has the second-biggest population in the world at 1.4 billion, and it is aging quickly.

Measures taken last year by authorities to tackle the problem included urging colleges and universities to provide "love education" to emphasise positive views on marriage, love, fertility and family.

Beijing has also told local governments to direct resources towards fixing the population crisis and spread respect for childbearing and marriages "at the right age."

More than 6.1 million couples registered for marriage last year, down from 7.68 million a year earlier.