The declining birth rates in the western countries is a well documented problem with many ramifications for local societies in all walks of life. Many governments have been trying to mitigate the effects of the problem and reverse the trend of an ageing population, but the approach adopted by the Icelandic government to boost the small island-nation’s population is probably among the most novel and strange….According to local reports, the government appears ready to offer a 1,800-euro benefit to any man who will marry a woman from Iceland and contribute to the rise in the population. Although the news has been denied by the government as mere rumours, Iceland is one of the European countries that offers the most lucrative welfare benefits in an effort to raise its population, with couple’s receiving childcare benefits based on a number of factors that last until the children reach 18 years old. Iceland has a population of 320,000 with the majority of men being over 40 years old. According to studies carried out in the country, the average child for each woman has reached 1.9, compared to 4.02 in 1970.