In response to record-low birth rates and warnings from officials that the population will begin to decline by 2025, China on Tuesday (Aug. 16) unveiled a host of incentives geared at enticing families to have more children.
With a workforce that is fast getting older, an economy that is declining, and its weakest population growth in decades, the country with the largest population in the world has been battling an impending demographic crisis.
Although Beijing's "one-child policy" was lifted in 2016 and couples were permitted to have three children last year, birth rates have declined over the previous five years.
The National Health Commission on Tuesday released its policy guidelines, which call on both the federal and state governments to expand funding for reproductive health and enhance childcare options nationally. They mandate that local governments "implement active fertility support measures" such as providing subsidies, tax breaks, and better health insurance, as well as help for young families in the areas of education, housing, and work.
To raise public awareness and prevent unintended pregnancy and reduce abortions that are not medically necessary, the National Health Authority claimed it will promote reproductive health. And to address a chronic lack of childcare options, all provinces must make sure they have adequate nurseries for kids between the ages of two and three by the end of the year.
Richer Chinese cities have started offering tax and housing credits, educational benefits, and even financial incentives to persuade women to have more children, and the most recent recommendations aim to pressure all provinces to implement such policies.
The OECD benchmark for a stable population is 2.1; China's fertility rate in 2021 was 1.16, which was among the lowest in the world.
The rules were released at a time when demographers claim that China's strict "zero-COVID" policy of containing outbreaks by tightly regulating people's lifestyles may have seriously harmed people's willingness to have children.
The authority promised to provide local governments with guidance as they gradually integrate assisted reproductive technology into the country's healthcare system. In China, technology like IVF is frequently exceedingly expensive and out of the reach of single women.
The one-child policy was in place throughout China from 1980 to 2015, and the country has now formally declared that it is about to experience a demographic decline. In 2016, it was amended to a two-child policy, and in 2021, it was altered once more to allow married couples to have up to three children.
The reduced birthrate has been attributed to higher living expenses as well as a cultural shift brought on by people becoming accustomed to fewer households. Health officials warned earlier this month that by 2025, China's population will start to decline.
