Explainer | China population: 7 ways to boost the birth rate, according to experts
- Demographers say China has a range of options available to boost fertility rates and slow the pace of its population decline
- They range from scrapping family-planning policies to enhancing parental leave to improving gender equality in the workplace
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Chinese reluctant to have children as China reports first population fall in 61 years
China arrived at a turning point in 2022 when deaths outnumbered births, resulting in the first population decline in six decades.
The number of newborns fell to 9.56 million – the lowest annual total in China’s modern history and the first time the figure has dipped below 10 million.
While some experts say China will see a period of endless population decline from now on, others argue the population will fluctuate around zero growth for a few years, with small rebounds likely to occur after the coronavirus pandemic.
Nevertheless, the consensus is that China’s population has peaked, and authorities must now do their best to accommodate an ageing society and changing demographic structure.
Still, more could – and should – be done to boost fertility rates, according to demographers. Here are seven suggestions from experts.
1. Drop family planning policies
The effect of scrapping China’s family-planning policies and ending limits on births is debatable.