China Struggles with Population Growth Despite Policy Changes

Challenges in Population Growth

Beijing/New Delhi, Jan 6: Recent reports indicate that China is struggling to increase its population, even after a decade of abolishing its strict birth control measures that had previously distorted demographic trends.

The one-child policy, which was introduced in 1980, aimed to control the rapid population growth in China. This controversial policy was officially terminated in 2016 due to significant demographic issues.

Despite this pivotal change and various initiatives aimed at encouraging families to have more children, the population growth rate has not improved, as reported by KSLTV citing CNN.

From 2022 to 2024, China's population has actually decreased. According to United Nations estimates, individuals aged over 60 now represent over 20% of the 1.4 billion population, with projections suggesting they could constitute nearly half by 2100.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has highlighted the importance of 'population security' and has prioritized the development of a high-quality population.

Nevertheless, both analysts and the general public are calling for additional policies or incentives to promote childbirth and marriage, particularly addressing critical issues such as high youth unemployment and the financial burden of raising children.

"To motivate people to have more children, we must invest equal or greater effort and commitment to achieve this," stated Welkin Lei, a 30-year-old resident of Beijing.

The legacy of the one-child policy has also resulted in a gender imbalance and a generation of only children who are now tasked with caring for aging parents in a country where the social safety net is often inadequate.

In response, the government has initiated a pro-natalist campaign, promoting marriage and childbirth among heterosexual couples as vital for the nation's future, while also imposing value-added taxes on condoms and contraceptives.

Additional incentives include tax reductions, financial support for housing, and cash bonuses for extended maternity leave.

"Current policies aimed at increasing birth rates have been largely superficial and fail to tackle the underlying issues of high child-rearing expenses and a fragile social security system," remarked Yanzhong Huang, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations.

The economic ramifications of a declining workforce and consumer base, coupled with the impending costs associated with a growing elderly population, are expected to be significant.