Move to address declining birth rates and aging population following years of restrictive policies.
China has officially announced a shift in its family planning policy, now permitting couples to have up to three children, replacing the previous two-child limit. This change follows alarming statistics revealing a sharp decline in the country’s birth rates.
State-run media outlet Xinhua reported the decision after a politburo meeting hosted by President Xi Jinping, citing the need to respond to the country’s aging population. China’s fertility rate is currently 1.3, well below the 2.1 rate needed to maintain a stable population.
Data from the National Bureau of Statistics revealed a significant drop in births, with only 12 million babies born in 2020—an 18% decrease from the previous year. The decline has intensified concerns about China’s demographic future.
This policy shift comes after years of slower population growth, following the relaxation of the one-child policy in 2015. Despite the reforms, birth rates have not increased as expected, largely due to the high cost of child-rearing in urban areas. The overall population grew by just 0.53% annually from 2010 to 2020, the slowest rate in generations.
