Dwindling numbers: Even after ending its one-child policy, China never saw a baby boom. — AFP
In November, the local authorities in the central city of Changsha decked out a street with pink banners sporting slogans like “Doing housework is the best” and “Having three children is the coolest” in a bid to encourage young couples to have children.
The “marriage-themed cultural street”, complete with wedding photo backdrops, was roundly mocked by netizens for leaning into stereotypes and its tone-deaf messaging.
In a desperate – and some would say futile – attempt to slow and reverse the population decline caused by its one-child policy and urbanisation, the Chinese government has recently doubled down on measures to boost the nation’s birth rate.
China’s State Council, or Cabinet, in late October detailed 13 measures to build a “birth- friendly society”.
The incentives include mandating better maternity insurance and leave, improving childcare and housing support, and advocating positive views on marriage and parenthood through social awareness campaigns.
Local governments have quickly heeded the latest call, by pushing out relevant policies.
Even colleges and universities are being asked to play a part, with state-run China Population News urging higher-education institutions to provide “marriage and love education” to emphasise positive views on marriage, love, fertility and family.
But such measures are not all that enticing, some couples and demography experts say.
“Giving birth is not the issue; the issue is raising the child and having to deal with education pressures,” said Ms Jacqueline Zhou, a 37-year-old visual merchandiser from Inner Mongolia who lives in Beijing. She has a two-year-old son, and does not want a second child.
“I’ll also have to save more money for his future, such as for his wedding and buying an apartment for him,” she said, referring to Chinese dowry custom and practices.
Her sentiment is shared by many in her generation, who are increasingly shelving marriage and parenthood plans due to the rising cost of raising a child, education pressures, lack of caregivers and marriage inequality.
China ended its decades-long one-child policy in 2016, increasing the cap to two children and then to three in 2021. But by then, the momentum of declining fertility was already set.
China’s fertility rate, which stood at around 1.09 in 2022, has led to a shrinking labour force, an ageing population and insufficient consumption, leading to a slowing economy. A country generally needs women to each have 2.1 children in their lifetime for its population to remain constant.
Dr Zhao Litao, senior research fellow at the National University of Singapore’s East Asian Institute, said China’s proposed incentives reflect the government’s awareness of the reasons why parents hesitate to have children, such as high childcare costs, education pressures and insufficient caregiving support.
However, the measures are largely focused on material constraints, he noted: “The policies overlook the diverse preferences and evolving values of the younger generations, who prioritise flexible, low-stress lifestyles over traditional family roles.”
Some efforts have also been criticised for being intrusive, with Chinese women of childbearing age sharing accounts of local officials calling them to inquire about their childbirth plans.
Further denting appetite for baby-making is China’s economic malaise that has left many anxious about their employment prospects, as youth unemployment remains high, along with an ailing property sector.
Prof Yun Zhou, a social demographer at the University of Michigan in the United States, said the clarion call to build a “birth-friendly society” promotes a highly rigid and singular vision of what the “Chinese family” should and should not look like.
“Without addressing fundamental, structural issues such as labour market gender discrimination, policies that are single-mindedly pro-natalist are rarely effective,” she said. — The Straits Times/ANN
