Policy ideas on marriage leave and birth-rate strategies in China

Recent discussions around China’s birth-rate challenges have spotlighted a policy idea aimed at encouraging larger families: extending marriage leave. Regional outlets have described how some provinces are weighing the length of holiday time granted to newly married couples as a lever to boost marriages and, by extension, birth rates. For example, in Gansu and Shanxi the proposal envisions as much as 30 days of leave, while Shanghai considers around ten days and Sichuan eyes a plan for three days. Advocates argue that giving couples more time to settle into married life can lower practical barriers to starting a family, particularly in the face of rising living costs and financial pressures on young households.