The Chinese city of Xian is giving newly married couples a lottery ticket in an attempt to boost the region’s birth rate. [Image: Shutterstock.com]

A city in China is trying to incentivize people to get married in an attempt to increase birth rates. The Xian authorities plan to purchase CN¥700,000 (US$97,248) worth of lottery tickets and give them to couples that can produce a marriage certificate.

region’s birth rate is closely linked to marriage rates

This new program will start on Friday and last until the end of November. Each couple will receive a single lottery ticket, which gives them a chance to win a significant sum of money. The region’s birth rate is closely linked to marriage rates, which is why the city is running this new program.

China is an expensive country in which to raise a child relative to its GDP per capita, according to a leading think tank. Hefty childcare costs and the unwillingness of women to put their careers on hold to have a child are some of the reasons for the lower birth rates.

The country’s total population decreased for the second year in a row in 2023, with the rate of new births only amounting to approximately half of 2016 figures. The number of new marriages is also significantly on the decline.