South Korea paying citizens to get married
The South Korean government has introduced a new policy to encourage single people to get married. This is because of the current fertility crisis in the country.
South Korea’s birth rate the lowest in the world
According to IOL, the fertility crisis in South Korea has dropped to 0.75% per woman. This has led to the local government resorting to desperate measures and offering people money to get married.
The birth rate in South Korea is the lowest birth rate in the world. Thus the reason for the demographic crisis.
Get paid to get married: Why?
The South Korean government has implemented a new policy that offers individuals at least R670 000 to find a spouse. It is evident that South Korea’s birth rate has hit a serious low. Therefore, the government decided to introduce this financial incentive to encourage marriage.
This approach benefits both the nation and single individuals. Firstly, it aims to address the demographic issue. Secondly, it eases the financial burden for new couples.
The main reason behind this incentive is not for people to get married as such but for married people to have children.
What about babies out of wedlock?
The Chosun Daily reported that the proportion of babies born to unmarried parents in South Korea, also known as nonmarital births, reached nearly 5% last year, a record high. Around 19 000 babies, or 4.7% of the total births, were born outside marriage, an increase of 1 100 from the previous year. This figure has more than doubled over the past five years, up from 2.2%.
Although this figure continues to rise, nonmarital births in South Korea are significantly lower in comparison to other countries.
It is worth noting that South Korea’s institutional system and culture are not supportive of childbearing and childrearing outside of marriage.
Why the panic over low birth numbers?
Globally, governments are concerned about fertility crises as they continue to accelerate. A smaller world population may be fine in the short run, but it would not be good for it to asymptotically approach zero.
Additionally, many citizens do not want their countries to lose their geopolitical influence due to population decline. Also, in many cases, there is a financial need for more young people to pay taxes and finance the pensions of the old.
Do you think this is a win-win situation for the government and the citizens?
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