China’s birth rates have been falling for decades as a result of the one-child policy China implemented from 1980 to 2015 as well as rapid urbanisation.
As in neighbouring Japan and South Korea, large numbers of Chinese people have moved from rural farms to cities, where having children is more expensive.
The high cost of childcare and education as well as job uncertainty and a slowing economy have also discouraged many young Chinese from getting married and starting a family.
Gender discrimination and traditional expectations for women to take care of the home exacerbate the issue, demographers say.
A 12.4 per cent rise in marriages in 2023 – many delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic – accounted for the rebound in births in 2024, demographers said, but the number is expected to fall again in 2025.
Marriages are a leading indicator for birth rates in China, where many single women cannot access child-raising benefits.
Authorities unveiled a series of measures in 2024 to boost China’s birth rate.
In December they urged colleges and universities to integrate marriage and “love education” into their curriculums to emphasise positive views on marriage, love, fertility and family.
In November, the state council, or cabinet rallied local governments to direct resources towards fixing China’s population crisis and spread respect for childbearing and marriages “at the right age”.
