To boost the marriage rate, in recent times, many regions in China have been issuing “marriage consumption vouchers” ranging from 800 yuan to 1000 yuan, which can be used for wedding-related expenses, sparking hot discussions online with netizens pointing out that they are not very useful.
Several reports from mainland China indicate that cities such as Ningbo, Hangzhou, Pinghu in Jiaxing, Keqiao District in Shaoxing, and Pujiang County in Jinhua have been distributing marriage consumption vouchers to newly registered couples, each with varying amounts and redemption rules.
On October 27th, the WeChat official account “Ningbo Civil Affairs” announced that couples registering for marriage from October 28th to December 31st can receive eight vouchers worth 500 yuan each, totaling 1000 yuan. The vouchers can be used for services like wedding photography, wedding ceremonies, marriage consultations, leisure travel, hotel accommodations, wedding cultural creative products, retail dining, and other businesses related to marriage, with participating merchants subject to the Yunshanfu payment platform.
Hangzhou stipulates that couples registering for marriage from August 28th to December 31st can apply for a total of 1000 yuan in vouchers, which is ten vouchers of “spend 2000 yuan and get 100 yuan off” type. The scope of use includes wedding photography, wedding banquets, souvenirs, marriage and family counseling, honeymoon travels, wedding attire, bridal jewelry, and wedding cultural creative products.
Pinghu City in Jiaxing announced that from October 28th until the end of the year, newly registered couples can receive 1000 yuan in marriage consumption vouchers; Keqiao District in Shaoxing began distributing marriage consumption vouchers from September 15th, with each couple eligible for 1000 yuan; Pujiang County in Jinhua started distributing marriage consumption vouchers on October 30th, with each couple eligible for 800 yuan, all designated for wedding-related expenses.
The measures taken by various regions to encourage marriage and boost the marriage rate have stirred up discussions online.
Netizens have commented, “From vouchers to cash subsidies, there are many ways to rush people into marriage in different regions. However, with costs like housing and betrothal gifts taking a significant portion of wedding expenses, these subsidies are merely a drop in the bucket.” “The problem is not the vouchers, but the lack of confidence in marriage,” one user said. “What can you do with a 1000 yuan voucher? By simply not getting married, you can save more than 1000 yuan, perhaps tens of thousands.”
Some netizens expressed concerns, suggesting that “if the aim is to promote marriage, it should focus on promoting marriage itself, not linking it to consumption; these are two separate matters!” “They are trying to make a profit off you by giving you 1000 to spend,” another pointed out. “The goal is not to help you get married but to exploit you for your savings and make you spend them.”
The founder of Zhi Xin Youth and prominent Weibo influencer Geng Xiangshun noted in a post that with the declining willingness for marriage and childbirth among people nowadays, the cash rewards and incentives offered by many places to encourage marriage and childbirth are likely to have very limited impact.
He listed ten reasons why young people are reluctant to get married, with the top three being:
1. High economic pressure, low income, unstable job prospects, high housing prices, high living costs, and the high cost of raising children make it challenging for young people to sustain their own lives, let alone bear the additional financial burden of marriage and children.
2. Marriage nowadays involves a plethora of financial factors such as houses, cars, betrothal gifts, wedding ceremonies, three golds, and division of common property, making the cost of marriage prohibitively high and suppressing the desire to get married as ordinary families cannot afford it.
3. Fierce job competition and unstable income, young people are often busy with work and overtime, leaving them with no time to nurture relationships, marriages, and families. This has led to a lack of confidence among young people about the quality of their post-marriage life.
In 2024, China recorded 6.106 million couples registering for marriage, marking the lowest number since 1980. As of the first half of 2025, data released by the Ministry of Civil Affairs of the Communist Party of China showed an increase in marriage registrations with 3.539 million couples and 1.331 million couples divorcing, representing an increase of 109,000 couples and 57,000 couples respectively.