Beijing (EFE).- Ten years after China ended its one-child policy, the world’s second-largest economy is now grappling with one of the lowest birth rates globally and a shrinking population, despite a raft of incentives to encourage families to have more children.
Introduced in 1979, the one-child policy was credited with preventing the population from exceeding 1.7 billion. Authorities scrapped the rule in 2015, allowing couples to have two children, and raised the limit to three in 2021.
The change has failed to reverse the downward trend. Births have continued to decline, and China has now recorded three consecutive years of population decline.
China ended 2024 with a population of 1.408 billion, marking its third straight annual drop. Official data show 9.54 million births last year, a slight rebound from 9.02 million in 2023, the lowest figure since 1949.
Experts attribute the uptick to the Year of the Dragon, considered an auspicious time for childbirth as per local beliefs, and to delayed births from the pandemic years.
China’s fertility rate stands around one child per woman, just above South Korea among countries with the lowest birth rate. President Xi Jinping said in 2024 that population development was “a vital matter” for the nation’s rejuvenation.
Authorities have launched measures to promote what they call a “birth-friendly society.” The central government plans to offer annual childcare subsidies of 3,600 yuan ($500) for each child under three. Preschool fees will be scrapped for the final year, benefiting about 12 million children. Hospitals are expanding access to epidural anesthesia to ease fears about childbirth.
Several provinces have extended marriage leave, up to 30 days in some, and cities such as Yichang and Hangzhou offer subsidies of up to 50,000 yuan ($6,900) for a third child.
However, the policies clash with changing social values. Many young people prioritize careers and personal well-being over marriage and parenthood. A local survey found that 52 percent of university students consider marriage “irrelevant,” while nearly 60 percent say the same about having children.
Rising living costs also deter couples. The Yuwa Population Research Institute estimates raising a child through college costs about 680,000 yuan ($94,500), more than six times the average income.
Women, in particular, show growing reluctance toward marriage and child-rearing.
“I don’t dislike children, but I don’t want to take on the responsibility of raising the next generation,” Lin, a 38-year-old woman, told EFE. “Self-esteem and personal growth” are more important, she said.
“Everything about having kids is too expensive,” one user wrote on the social network Weibo. “Education, healthcare, and tutoring are the biggest costs.” EFE
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