A billionaire will throw a party for you - if you conceive in his hotel

Would-be parents can bag free baby gifts, a party and even £2,000 from a billionaire keen to raise Poland's birthrate.

Władysław Grochowski, who owns one of Poland’s largest hotel and property conglomerates, is keen to sort out what he sees as the country's low birth rate. In order to get the public birthing, he has pledged to host a free celebration for anyone who becomes pregnant during a stay at one of the 23 hotels in his Arche group.

To sweeten the deal further, Władysław has also promised to pay a cash bonus of 10,000 zlotys (£2,047) to any staff or customers who have a child within five years of buying one of the company’s properties to live in.

The pro-natalist hotelier will plant a tree for each baby born at one of his hotels, while also handing out a free pram and a special welcome package to the first mother to conceive under the programme.

In an interview with financial site money.pl, Grochowski said: “Every couple who conceives a child during their stay at one of the 23 Arche hotels will receive a complimentary family celebration, such as a christening, in one of our event rooms or restaurants.

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“Businesses should become more involved in social issues, including supporting the reversal of the negative demographic trend in our country. In 2026, Poland will spend nearly 5% of its GDP on defence, which nominally could translate to over 200 billion złoty, but what good is that if demographics will wipe us out?”

Poland is struggling to deal with a declining birth rate, as are many countries around the world. In 2023, it recorded 1.2 live births per woman, which was down from 1.33 in 2021 and 2.06 in 1990, according to Eurostat.

One of the countries which is also struggling with a low birth rate is Japan. The number of babies born in Japan last year fell for a ninth straight year to a record low, according to health ministry data released in February.

The faster-than-predicted decline suggests government measures have not effectively addressed the country’s fast-aging and declining population.

The 720,998 babies born in Japan in 2024 was a drop of 5% on the previous year, according to the Health and Welfare Ministry. It was the lowest number of births since Japan started taking the statistics in 1899.

The result, which includes babies of foreign nationality born in Japan, is 15 years ahead of the forecast for reaching that level. The birth rate for just Japanese nationals is expected to fall below 700,000 for the first time when it is published later this year.

The result comes just as South Korea reported that the number of babies born in that country rebounded for the first time in nine years in 2024, a result partly attributed to an increase in marriages among couples who delayed weddings during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Experts say an improving outlook for the economy, jobs and gender equality is key to encourage young people to marry and have children.

Surveys show that many younger Japanese are reluctant to marry or have families, discouraged by bleak job prospects, the high cost of living that rises at a faster pace than salaries and corporate cultures that are not compatible with having both parents work.

Japan’s population is projected to fall by about 30%, to 87 million by 2070, when four out of every 10 people will be 65 or older.