Xi'an City in China Launches Lottery Campaign for Newlyweds
A local government in China has decided to implement a campaign that gives newlyweds lottery tickets to encourage marriage and childbirth.
According to Beijing Youth Daily on the 28th, the Civil Affairs Bureau of Xi'an City, Shanxi Province, recently announced via its social media account that starting from the 1st of next month, newlyweds presenting their marriage certificate will receive one scratch-off lottery ticket with a face value of 10 yuan (approximately 1,850 won). This is seen as a wish for the 'fortune' of married life as well as a blessing for a perfect marriage. In China, among the numbers 1 to 10, 10 is considered the most complete number.
Xi'an City has allocated a budget of 700,000 yuan (about 130 million won) for purchasing lottery tickets, and the campaign is scheduled to continue until November 30.
Regarding this campaign, Hong Kong media BNN Breaking stated, "This strategy aims to encourage marriage and increase the sharply declining birth rate," adding, "Chinese authorities expect a ripple effect leading from marriage to an increase in birth rates." The media also noted, "Xi'an City's bold policy could set a precedent for other cities and countries facing similar demographic challenges."
Meanwhile, the number of newborns in China fell below 10 million for two consecutive years in 2022 and 2023. This is the first time since the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949 that the annual number of newborns has dropped below 10 million. As of the end of last year, China's total population was recorded at 1.40967 billion, a decrease of 2.08 million compared to 2022, causing China to lose its position as the world's most populous country to India.
China has allowed a second child since 2016 and a third child since 2021 to prevent population decline and has introduced various childbirth encouragement policies. However, due to high childcare costs and employment difficulties caused by economic slowdown, these measures have not achieved significant results.
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