China: Incentives for couples to have a second child

The Chinese administration is seriously considering introducing rewards and incentives to encourage married couples to opt for a second child, writes The Guardian, as reported by Patria.

This decision followed the results of surveys indicating that couples are hesitant about expanding their families mainly for economic reasons, according to the state-run media China Daily.

In 2016, the number of newborns reached 17.86 million, a record since 2000, after China introduced new guidelines in 2015 allowing all parents to have two children – a decision prompted by concerns over the rising enormous costs of supporting the elderly population.

A survey conducted in 2015 revealed that about 60 percent of respondents – families, refuse to expand their family with a second child due to financial reasons.

China's birth rate is one of the lowest in the world, and as such, it is becoming a growing concern for the state. At a time when the Chinese government feared excessive population growth, this was considered an achievement.

China began implementing the controversial „one-child policy“ in the 1970s to limit population growth, but officials are now concerned that the domestic workforce will not be able to support the growing elderly population.

The „one-child policy“ has not been in effect since 2015. The Communist Party considers it responsible for preventing 400 million new inhabitants, contributing to the dramatic improvement of China's economy since the 1980s.