China launches new maternity, marital survey in bid to staunch population loss

A total of 20,000 Chinese aged 20-44 across 100 counties, districts and cities will take part in the new survey

The questionnaire revolves around childbirth plans and problems with policies concerning marriage and starting a family

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Young Chinese are becoming more reluctant to get married and have children due to fast-changing socioeconomic conditions. Photo: AFP

Published: 6:30pm, 22 Sep 2022

China has launched a new nationwide marital and maternity survey to gain insight into what is driving the country’s declining marriage and birth rates.

The survey, authorised by the National Bureau of Statistics and carried out in conjunction with family planning and demographic authorities, kicked off earlier this month in several regions of Hunan province.

A total of 20,000 Chinese aged 20-44 across 100 counties, districts and cities will take part, according to the China Population and Development Research Centre (CPDRC).

The questionnaire revolves around childbirth plans and problems with policies concerning marriage, starting a family and child rearing, among other areas. Participants are also asked what services they would like to see.

It is one of the largest and most comprehensive surveys on the topic in recent years.

Chinese mothers gave birth to 10.62 million babies in 2021, an 11.5 per cent fall from 2020, and China’s seventh national census showed that its 2020 fertility rate was 1.3 children per woman – below the replacement level of 2.1 needed for a stable population. Independent demographers said it fell to 1.15 last year, but no official figure was provided.

China’s inadequate fertility rate is due to a range of factors, including health conditions, households’ financial situation, as well as drastic changes in the socioeconomic environment, the CPDRC said in a report published on its official WeChat account on Tuesday.