China implements measures to increase birth rate

The birth crisis in Asia reaches not only China, but countries such as Japan, South Korea and Taiwan, which have adopted measures to reverse the fall in the number of births. China, despite being one of the most populous countries in the world, faces this problem with a new series of measures to stimulate the birth rate. Therefore, the Chinese government has implemented financial incentives, pro-family campaigns and even measures such as restrictions on international adoption to try to contain this demographic crisis.

At the opening of the Annual Plenary Session of the National People’s Assembly (APN), the Chinese legislative agency, I read Qiang, who set the country’s economic growth target to 2025 in “about 5%”, said the government will “offer subsidies for children’s care” as the costs of Chinese children are one of the main obstacles pointed out by couples to have children.

“We will develop integrated children’s care services and kindergarten,” Li said, adding that the “offering inclusive child care services will increase.”

Possible proposals also include the expansion of insurance coverage for assisted reproduction techniques, prolonging paternity leave or even reducing the legal age of marriage to 18 years (currently 22 for men and 20 for women), as well as the end of restrictions on the number of children, set in three since 2021.

International adoptions

Mao Ning, spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, announced that the Chinese government will no longer authorize international adoptions of Chinese children. The only exception will be for foreigners who wish to adopt stepsons or children of consanguineous relatives. According to the The Guardianall ongoing processes were canceled, leaving foreign families in an uncertain situation.

Since 1992, China has led the number of international adoptions, with about 160,000 children adopted in that decade. Between 2004 and 2022, more than 89,000 Chinese children were adopted by foreign families, and the US represented most of it, with more than 82,600 adoptions. The peak occurred in 2005, with approximately 8 thousand cases.

Population loss

By 2023, China lost 2.1 million inhabitants and registered 9.02 million births, the smallest number ever recorded. The 2024 balance was also negative. In addition, the number of orphans dropped dramatically: from 570 thousand in 2012 to 158 thousand in 2022, according to data from Statista.

Given this fall, the Chinese government officially ended the policy of the only child in 2015 and began to encourage births. Measures such as tax discounts, extended maternity licenses and housing subsidies were implemented. In 2024, after seven years of falling, there was a slight increase in birth rate due to the postpandeia baby boom and the dragon year, a period culturally associated with a higher number of births.

The increase in births in 2024 in China, from 9.02 to 9.54 million, represents a hope, but is still far from reversing the downward trend. THE Global Times He pointed out that the population growth rate remains negative (-0.99 per thousand inhabitants). In some regions, such as Guangdong, there has been a punctual increase in birth rate due to dragon’s year’s cultural influences, but experts warn that the effect can be temporary.

Other measures that have been affirming themselves over the last ten years are:

Flexibility of birth control policies

• End of the only child policy: In 2016, the government allowed Two children per familyreplacing the current policy since 1979.
• Three Children’s Policy: In 2021, the limit was expanded to three children in response to the sharp drop in birth rates.

Financial incentives and subsidies

• Cash aid: Some cities offer direct subsidies, such as Bonus by birth (Ex. Panzhihua, in Sichuan, pays 500 CNY/month per child up to 3 years old).
• Tax deductions: Tax reduction for families with two or three children.
• Housing support: Priority in real estate credits or subsidies for large families in certain regions.

Expansion of parental licenses

• Extended maternity leave: Increased to 158 dias (varies by region), with full salary in some provinces.
• Paternity: Introduction of licenses of 5 to 30 days, depending on the locality, to encourage the division of responsibilities.

Support for Children’s Education and Care

• Expansion of public day care centers: Investment in accessible early childhood education to reduce family costs.
• Reduction of educational costs: Policies such as “double reduction” (2021) to reduce expenses with extracurricular education.

Birth Promotion Campaigns

• Government propaganda: Media campaigns to encourage families to have more children, highlighting traditional family values.
• Fighting stereotypes: Speeches against “late marriage” and “late pregnancy”.

Protection of women’s rights

• Laws against discrimination at work: Penalties for employers who dismiss or harm pregnant women.
• Maternal Health Support: Expansion of access to prenatal examinations and fertility treatments (such as IVF).

Adjustments in social policies

• Reform of hukou (Home Registration): Facilitation of access to public services (health, education) for migrant children.
• Fighting high life costs: Price control in sectors such as education and health.

Regional incentives

• Provinces like Guangdong and Jiangsu offer Extra Benefitsas aid for fertilization in vitro or larger subsidies.

Why is it important to rejuvenate the country?

China is concerned about the low birth rate because it has serious implications for its economy, labor market and long -term social stability. Here are the main reasons:

Population aging: China is aging quickly. In 2024, more than 22% of the population was 60 or older. This means that there will be fewer and more active workers sustaining a growing number of retirees, which presses the social security system and health services.

Decrease in the workforce: The country is losing millions of workers at productive age each year. This affects China’s competitiveness as great industrial and economic power, as fewer young people mean less labor available to boost the economy.

Economic impact: With fewer workers and older people depending on the state, social security and health costs increase. In addition, a decline population reduces domestic consumption, impairing sectors such as housing, retail and services.

The consequences of the only child’s policy: the policy of the only child (1979-2015) has drastically reduced population growth, but now the country faces the effects of this decision: less young people to support the country and a gender imbalance, with more men than women of reproductive age.

Decallation of economic growth: Historically, China’s growth was driven by its vast working population. With fewer young people entering the job market, productivity may fall and the country could lose its economic advantage to other nations with younger populations.

The case of Japan and innovative solutions

China is not alone in this challenge. Japan also faces a population crisis, aggravated by high longevity. The country registered a birth rate of only 1.2 delivery per woman in 2023, while the number of centenaries exceeded 95,000.

To combat this scenario, Tokyo has announced that he will implement a four -day work week for civil servants from April 2025, and offers partial licenses to parents of young children. Another strategy includes an exclusive dating app for those seeking marriage, with income checking and interviews to ensure seriousness. The government has also created financial incentives for single women to move from large centers to rural areas and form families and can receive up to one million yen (R $ 37 thousand).