Worried About Declining Birth Rates, What Is China Doing To Promote ‘Childbirth-Friendly Society’?

New Delhi: China, which was the world’s most populous country till it was overtaken by India recently, is worried about the sharply declining birth rates.

So much so that the state council has introduced measures to create a ‘childbirth-friendly society’, reported Xinhua News Agency.

The measures, aimed at supporting childbirth, focuses on strengthening childbirth and childcare services, expanding support in education, housing, employment, and fostering a “new culture” around marriage and childbearing.

The number of kindergartens in China fell by 14,808 in 2023, reducing the total to 274,400, South China Morning Post reported, citing data provided by the Education Ministry.

This is the second consecutive annual decline, highlighting China’s falling birth rate.

In 2023, China’s population dropped for the second straight year by over 2 million – down to 1.4 billion with 9 million births being recorded in 12 months. It was the lowest annual births since records were being kept, from 1949.

Even more worrying is the fact that China faces a dual demographic challenge, as the elderly population is rising rapidly along with declining birth and fertility rates.

At end of last year, China had nearly 300 million people aged 60 and above, a figure expected to exceed 400 million by 2035 and reach 500 million by 2050, according to Xinhua.

The crisis is largely a result of the decades-old one-child policy, which ended in 2016.

The Chinese government further revised the policy in 2021, allowing families to have up to three children.