What is China's plan to boost its falling population?
China Population Decline: Beijing is offering tax deductions, longer maternity leave and housing subsidies to encourage more births.
China' population fell by almost 850,000 last year marking its first drop in six decades. This comes as long-term decline in population in the country has been expected. China reversed its one-child policy in 2021. The policy was implemented in 1980 aiming to reduce the social and economic consequences of rapid population growth.
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The policy limited families to have only one child and was strictly enforced with fines for violations and mothers often forced to have abortions. The result was increase in gender selective abortions due to a historical and cultural preference for families to have boys. In 2016, China allowed all married couples to have a second child.
How is China planning to boost its population?
Beijing is offering tax deductions, longer maternity leave and housing subsidies to encourage more births as high education costs and limited childcare options have resulted in many people in China to have only one child.
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China has also banned private-tutoring companies from making a profit from teaching core subjects and offering classes on weekends or holidays. In August last year, China's National Health Commission urged central and provincial governments to increase spending on reproductive health and improve childcare services.
China's state council also said that it is considering new measures to encourage flexible working hours and the option to work from home for employees with children in addition to preferential housing for families with multiple children such as providing bigger public housing apartments.
Some cities are also giving incentives to couples with more than one child. Shenzhen is giving couples having a third child or more an annual allowance of over 6,000 yuan until the child turn three. In Jinan, mothers who have a second or third child can receive a monthly subsidy of 600 yuan until the child is three.
