China's birthrate dropped last year to its lowest level
since the formation of the People's Republic of China in 1949, adding to
concerns of a long-term challenge for the government, as the ageing
society and shrinking workforce pile pressure on a slowing economy
The number of births has now fallen for three consecutive years. Still, there were 14.65 million babies born in 2019.
Many young couples in China are reluctant to have children because they cannot afford to pay for healthcare and education alongside expensive housing
Meanwhile, divorce rates are hitting records. In the first three quarters of 2019, about 3.1 million couples filed for divorce, compared with 7.1 million couples getting married, according to data from the Ministry of Civil Affairs
According to official figures, China's population stood at 1.4 billion by the end of 2019, increasing by 4.67 million from the year before.
The one-child policy was introduced by former leader Deng Xiaoping to curb population growth and promote economic development, with exceptions for rural families whose first-born was a female, and for ethnic minorities.
The measure was mainly enforced through fines but was also notorious for forced abortions and sterilisations.
The result was dramatic: Fertility rates dropped from 5.9 births per woman in 1970 to about 1.6 in the late 1990s. The rate was below the level needed to replace the population - 2.1 births per woman.
To avoid a demographic crisis, the Communist
government abolished the one-child policy in 2015 to allow people to
have two children, but the change has not resulted in an increase in
pregnancies
In 2019, the birthrate stood at 10.48 per
1,000 people, down slightly from the year before, according to data from
the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) released on Friday Jan 17,2020
Many young couples in China are reluctant to have children because they cannot afford to pay for healthcare and education alongside expensive housing
Meanwhile, divorce rates are hitting records. In the first three quarters of 2019, about 3.1 million couples filed for divorce, compared with 7.1 million couples getting married, according to data from the Ministry of Civil Affairs
According to official figures, China's population stood at 1.4 billion by the end of 2019, increasing by 4.67 million from the year before.
The one-child policy was introduced by former leader Deng Xiaoping to curb population growth and promote economic development, with exceptions for rural families whose first-born was a female, and for ethnic minorities.
The measure was mainly enforced through fines but was also notorious for forced abortions and sterilisations.
The result was dramatic: Fertility rates dropped from 5.9 births per woman in 1970 to about 1.6 in the late 1990s. The rate was below the level needed to replace the population - 2.1 births per woman.
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