China’s fertility rate is estimated to have dropped to a record low of 1.09 in 2022, the National Business Daily said on Tuesday, a figure likely to rattle authorities as they try to boost the country’s declining number of new births.
China’s fertility rate is estimated to have dropped to a record low of 1.09 in 2022, the National Business Daily said on Tuesday, a figure likely to rattle authorities as they try to boost the country’s declining number of new births.
I still don’t get it. Two decades ago they were forbidding people to have more than one child iirc. Now they’re desperate to have more people? Why the sudden change of heart? Why didn’t they lift their restrictions earlier? What info am I missing?
To put it roughly there’s a lot of old folks receiving or about to receive retirement pensions but not enough young working folks to pay taxes to make those pensions happen. They still have plenty of people but not enough taxpayers to support the rest of the population.
Edit: and they realized it too late.
Pretty late if they are starting now. Replacement-level fertility is about 2.1 children. Even if they somehow convince their young to increase the rate, it’ll take at least 18 years to see any effect.
Also now it is even harder to support having children for the average Chinese because there’s an expectation to take care of your parents and grandparents. If all six are living what resources remain fire marriage and children?