Officials predict that China’s population will begin to decline in 2025 as families get smaller and residents live longer.
When it comes to population growth, the world’s most populated country is in the midst of its most serious demographic crisis in decades.
Although the country’s rigorous “one-child policy” was eased in 2016 and couples were allowed to have three children last year, the birth rate has dropped to a record low.
As the National Health Commission noted on Monday, China’s population growth rate has slowed dramatically and may eventually enter a phase of negative growth under the “14th Five-Year Plan,” which spans from 2021 to 25.
In January, officials predicted that the population will enter “negative growth” or “zero growth” over the next five years.
As the NHC noted in its most recent assessment, “our country’s policy system for childbirth support is not flawless, and there is a huge gap with population development and the expectations of the people.
Additionally, the country’s overall fertility rate has dipped below 1.3 in recent years, and by 2035, more than 30% of the country’s population will be over 60 years old.
In an effort to combat China’s declining birthrate, local governments in several provinces have already implemented family-friendly measures.
When filing for their housing provident fund loan, families with three children in Hangzhou, China’s eastern city, will be able to borrow 20% more than the maximum allowed.
According to official media, other cities including Nanchang and Changsha have also implemented supportive policies.
The decline in the number of births has been attributed to rising costs of living and a cultural shift toward smaller families.
Deng Xiaoping introduced the “one-child policy” in 1980 to reduce population growth and encourage economic growth, with occasional exceptions for rural families and ethnic minorities.
India is on track to overtake China as the world’s most populated country by 2023, when the global population is estimated to reach eight billion, according to UN forecasts.
