Despite Government Pressure, Chinese Women Defy Calls To Boost Birth Rates Amid Rising Child-Rearing Costs

Chinese women are choosing personal ambitions over state and family pressures to increase the country’s declining birth rates. These decisions come amid Beijing’s intensifying pleas for larger families, inciting a demographic crisis.

What Happened: Many Chinese women are hesitating to have more children due to mounting frustration over government intrusion and the expenses associated with child-rearing. The number of newborns has dramatically fallen from about 16 million in 2012 to under 10 million in 2022. Some forecasts indicate that China’s population, currently around 1.4 billion, could halve by the end of the century, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal.

Chinese President Xi Jinping urged the state-supported All-China Women's Federation in October to resolve issues within the “women’s field.” Critics contend this move perceives women as potential threats to social harmony instead of addressing their concerns. China's top government body, the State Council, has not offered a response regarding their population strategies.

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“Family values” promotions have seen little success, even in China’s rural regions. In Quanjiao, a county in Anhui province, women are standing up to pressure from community officials and relatives to have larger families. The high costs of childcare, a weak economy, and elevated unemployment rates are prompting many young people to seek alternatives to traditional family life.

Contrary to expectations of a baby boom following the termination of China’s one-child policy in 2015, a baby bust occurred. The country is now witnessing its first reduction in preschool numbers in 15 years, with a simultaneous decline in baby-care product sales.

In a bid to create a “birth-friendly culture,” the government is promoting matchmaking events and programs to encourage military families to have more children. Despite these initiatives, women’s rights awareness is increasing, and there is a growing reluctance among women to conform to traditional roles.

Why It Matters: The declining birth rates in China have been a cause of concern for some time now. Jim Rickards, a best-selling author, had warned last year that China’s dwindling population would lead to “an epic collapse.”

Rickards projected that China would lose 600 million people by 2070, with the remaining population being older and more susceptible to diseases like Alzheimer’s and dementia, further exacerbating the crisis.

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