Couples in This Chinese Village Are Getting Divorced To Make Money

One hundred and sixty couples in a Chinese town filed for divorce, and you would never guess why.

Jiangbei village in Nanjing’s Gao Xin district has seen a mass increase in divorce, as 160 of the village’s couples filed for it in order to receive relocation compensation from the government.

According to Chinese media sources, the village’s land was being expropriated as it had recently been chosen to be redeveloped. Each household or family would be compensated with a 220-square-meters house, but if the couple were to get divorced, the household is considered as two separate families, and each person would receive an additional 70-square-meter house, on top of 131,000 RMB (approximately $19,009 USD).

As a result, 160 couples living in the village immediately filed for divorce upon hearing the news, and expressed they could remarry at a later date, or continue living together despite being divorced.

While the majority of the divorced couples were young, there were even couples in their 80’s who filed for divorce. However, according to redevelopment policies and laws in China, only couples who have been divorced for 5 years or longer will be able to receive double compensation.

While it is still unclear whether the divorced couples qualify for the additional relocation compensation, couples are continuing to file for divorce, just in case.

Source: Dispatch