Korea to Triple Baby Payments After It Smashes Own Record for World’s Lowest Fertility Rate
- Government to sharply lift allowances to encourage more births
- Increase in family support comes despite tighter fiscal policy
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South Korea plans to provide every family with a newborn child a monthly allowance of 1 million won ($740), in its latest move to encourage more births and try to address the world’s lowest fertility rate.
The handout will begin next year at a level of 700,000 won a month and then rise to the full amount in 2024, according to a budget proposal unveiled this week. Once the child turns one, the stipend will be reduced by half and run for a further year.