In China, education costs are high, especially in big cities, and many people are also concerned about high youth unemployment and weak economic development. Many people therefore prefer not to have children. However, the government now has a plan.
In times of declining birth rates and fewer marriages, the Chinese government has promised help for parents and children.
The measures are intended to encourage couples to have children and reduce the costs of childbirth, childbirth and education, according to a statement from the State Council. Beijing wants to create a “new culture of childbearing and marriage” and promote positive attitudes toward marriage and the family.
According to the information, local governments should implement regulations to make it easier for new parents to take a break. Beijing also promised tax breaks and a maternity subsidy system. The projects also include increasingly accessible childcare and healthcare options. New public platforms are also intended to promote the search for a partner for young people.
The demographic problem is getting worse
It initially remained unclear when the government would want to implement the plans and with how much money. The announcement comes at a time when China’s demographic problem is becoming increasingly acute.
Despite the abolition of the decades-long one-child policy almost a decade ago, the country’s population of around 1.4 billion has been shrinking since 2022, official information shows.
Primary schools converted into retirement homes
Experts report that some cities have converted primary schools into retirement homes because there are no children and more retirees. Estimates suggest that by 2050, approximately 500 million Chinese will be aged 60 or older.
To find out more about the “fear of having children” and its influencing factors, the National Health Commission began surveying about 30,000 people in various places in China, as the state-run newspaper “Global Times” reported in mid-October. Foreign media, citing affected women, reported receiving calls from authorities who then asked if they were pregnant. The government wants to encourage women to have children, according to the South China Morning Post.
Source: Krone
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