The population may decline as fertility rates fall below in China said, officials
Chinese Minister of Civil Affairs Li Jiheng released an article that stated that the nation’s total fertility rate has fallen below the warning line. The population development of China has entered a critical turning point.
The controversial One child policy that was a birth planning program designed to control the size of the rapidly growing population of the People’s Republic of China has led China into a troublesome position, said, Demographers.
Demographers warn that China’s population will start to decline in the next few years, with little chance of reversing the trend. They are suggesting immediate abandon restrictions on having babies and be more tolerant toward babies born out of wedlock. Demographers suggest that instead of restricting people from having children the government should maintain its focus on reducing the cost of raising and educating children.
Li Jiheng’s recent article that raises its concern over the declining fertility rate also points out that under the influence of various factors, Chinese people are less willing to have children. The article went viral attracting 240 million views as of press time.
He believed that Improving the family planning policy, promoting balanced and long-term population development, and improving the quality of the population are the fundamental solutions to the aging population and maintaining social vitality
As per the opinion of He Yafu, an independent demographer, the total fertility rate should remain at about 2.1 for China’s population to stay stable, and a total fertility rate of 1.5 is a highly sensitive warning line, given historical and international experience. The fertility rate is the average number of children a woman gives birth to.
Noting that China’s fertility rate has fallen below 1.5, He also said that Once fertility slips below 1.5, a country falls into the trap of low fertility and is unlikely to recover.
Demographers insisted on immediately lifting restrictions set by the government on having babies and be more tolerant toward babies born out of wedlock. Studies said China’s population is aging at a rate and scale that is historically unprecedented.
In an online poll conducted by Weibo that had 130,000 participants as of press time, only 9,000 showed interest in having a second child. About one-third said that they weren’t married and another one-third said no to a second child.
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang in his annual press conference showed his concern over the rising population of the nation. He said that China’s population above 60 years increased to 420 million and that of children over six years to 100 million putting heavy pressure on nursing services and daycare centers.
On November 1, China began the huge task of counting its population, it is the world’s biggest exercise of population count to document demographic changes in the country.
About seven million workers began a door-to-door survey for the seventh census in the country to account for China’s population stated to be 1.37 billion in the last exercise conducted ten years ago.
