AFP
With a workforce that is fast getting older, an economy that is declining, and its weakest population growth in decades, the country with the largest population in the world has been battling an impending demographic crisis.
Birth rates have declined over the previous five years, despite Beijing lifting its strict “one-child rule” in 2016 and allowing couples to have three children last year.
The National Health Commission on Tuesday released its policy guidelines, which call on both the federal and state governments to expand funding for reproductive health and enhance childcare options nationally.
As birth rates hit a historic low and officials issued a warning that the population will begin to decline by 2025, China on Tuesday unveiled a host of incentives designed to encourage families to have more children.
The National Health Commission on Tuesday released its policy guidelines, which call on both the national and provincial governments to expand funding for reproductive health and enhance childcare options nationally.
They mandate that local governments “implement active fertility support measures,” such as providing subsidies, tax breaks, and better health insurance, as well as help for young families in the areas of education, housing, and work.
Richer Chinese cities have started providing tax and housing rebates, educational perks, and even cash incentives to encourage women to have more children, and the latest recommendations aim to drive all provinces to implement similar policies.
According to data from the National Bureau of Statistics, China’s birth rate dropped to 7.52 births per 1,000 people last year, which is the lowest level since records began in 1949, the year Communist China was established.
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