China Offers Cash Incentives to Couples for Every Child Born

Facing a declining birth rate, China has launched a new initiative to encourage population growth by providing cash payments to couples for every child they have. Starting January 1, 2025, Chinese couples will receive an annual payment of 3,600 yuan (approximately 78,484 Bangladeshi taka) per child, continuing until the child reaches the age of three.

According to Singapore-based news outlet The Straits Times, citing Chinese government officials, this move aims to reverse years of falling birth rates that have plagued the country. Once the world’s most populous nation with a population of 1.41 billion, China is now second to India in total population.

China’s historic one-child policy, introduced in the 1980s to control population growth, was replaced by a two-child policy in 2016 and later by a three-child policy in 2021, but these measures have failed to significantly increase birth rates. In fact, China has recorded declining birth rates for three consecutive years from 2022 to 2024.

The United Nations has warned that if the trend continues, China’s population could drop to 1.3 billion by 2050 and further shrink to 800 million by 2100, marking a significant demographic shift for the world’s second-largest economy.