Singles in Japan are getting paid to join Tinder in bid to stop declining population
Kochi Prefecture in Japan has launched a new programme which offers single residents aged 20 to 39 an impressive lump sum to join Tinder in an effort to address its burgeoning population decline.
As per International Business Times, the measure is part of a wider governmental scheme aimed at increasing romantic relationships, notably in rural areas, as the population is declining at an alarming rate.
The government is hoping the ¥20,000 reward, which is around £93, will entice young people into finding their forever person.
Elsewhere across the region, childcare subsidies, marriage support programmes and local matchmaking initiatives have all been launched to help the shrinking population of around 650,000 currently.
The subsidy for government-approved dating apps nods to the fact that, according to some statistics, one in four young marriages in Japan began on one of these apps.
With this in mind, the region must pivot accordingly if it wants to encourage long-term relationships to help the social infrastructure, as pressure mounts.
One example is Tapple, which provides verified user systems and a structured pairing process. Officers behind the move have stressed that this isn’t just an initiative for casual dating.
This measure isn’t unheard of for the country. In fact, the Miyazaki prefecture did last year, but only awarded citizens who joined dating apps ¥10,000.
However, general pushback has come from romantic hopefuls, who say the issue at the heart of the decline in long-term relationships is not the struggle to find a match, but the struggle to meet the demands of the normative lifestyle.
These issues include economic pressure, long working hours and the high cost of raising children.
According to Anitsu, the state has tried its hand at addressing this issue before, including its tax-funded blind date events and massive awareness campaigns. Here’s hoping a swipe right will eradicate the population issue for good.