China announced it will cover all out-of-pocket expenses related to childbirth next year, in an effort to reverse its demographic decline.
The country’s birth rates have fallen for decades in part because of the one-child policy; officials have already expanded maternity leave benefits and housing subsidies to encourage couples to have more children. The financial assistance could also help address Beijing’s larger problem of lackluster consumption, which has contributed to its economic slowdown.
Other East Asian governments facing demographic crises have made similar moves, but experts question whether cash bonuses to encourage marriage and childbirth can offset structural hurdles and population challenges. “Would anyone really get married just to receive a congratulatory payment?” one Korean official said.
