China's fertility rate plunges to record low in 2022
Beijing, August 16: In 2022, China's fertility rate has plummeted to an unprecedented low of 1.09, as reported by the National Business Daily, citing data from China's Population and Development Research Center. This alarming decline comes as Beijing strives to counteract the sharp decrease in new births within the nation.
China now holds the distinction of possessing the lowest fertility rate among countries with populations exceeding 100 million. China's fertility rate already ranks among the world's lowest, alongside countries such as South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Singapore.
The aftermath of China's first population contraction in sixty years coupled with its rapidly aging demographic has prompted Beijing to implement measures aimed at elevating the birth rate. These strategies encompass financial incentives and enhancements to childcare facilities. In alignment with these efforts, China emphasizes advancements in education, science, and technology to enhance population quality, all while maintaining a "moderate fertility" rate in support of economic advancement.
Critically, substantial hurdles, such as high childcare expenses and limited career opportunities post-childbirth, have deterred many women from expanding their families or having children at all. Experts point out that pervasive gender bias and traditional stereotypes regarding women's roles in child-rearing continue to persist across the country. Moreover, most provinces still offer restricted paternity leave.
In Hong Kong, the Family Planning Association disclosed that the percentage of childless women in the special administrative region of China has more than doubled over the past five years, reaching 43.2 per cent last year.
Simultaneously, the proportion of couples with one or two children has declined. Additionally, the average number of children per woman plummeted from 1.3 in 2017 to an unprecedented low of 0.9 in the previous year, as per the association's survey.
- With inputs from agencies
