Faced with ageing populations and shrinking workforces, at least five countries have introduced substantial financial packages targeting newlyweds, ranging from upfront cash grants to loans that disappear entirely depending on how many children a couple has. Cash for marriage in ItalyIn Italy, several regional and local governments are offering grants to young couples willing to settle in smaller towns and rural areas battling population decline. Japan's cash reward for marriageJapan, grappling with one of the world's lowest birth rates, has gone a similar route. Cash incentive for married couples in ChinaChina has taken a more targeted approach in some of its regions, offering cash bonuses specifically to couples where the bride is aged 25 or younger. The policy is designed to encourage earlier marriages as authorities confront both declining marriage rates and an increasingly ageing population.