China Faces Population Cliff, Allows Three-Child Policy (Comprehensive)

Measures to Address Population Issues Such as Aging Population
Newborns Peaked at 17.86 Million in 2016, Declining Annually to 12 Million Last Year

[Asia Economy Beijing=Special Correspondent Jo Young-shin] The Chinese government has decided to allow three children per family to address population issues such as aging. China had maintained the 'one-child policy' for decades before implementing the 'two-child policy' in 2016. This recent measure further relaxes birth restrictions as population aging accelerates and birth rates decline.

The Central Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China held a meeting on the 31st, presided over by Party General Secretary and Chinese President Xi Jinping, to deliberate on the "Decision on Improving Family Planning Policies and Promoting Long-term Balanced Population Development."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Xinhua News Agency explained that actively responding to population aging is crucial not only for national development but also for the livelihood of the people, describing the allowance of three children as an important measure to achieve high-quality economic development and maintain national security and social stability.

Although China's population has been recorded as increasing, statistics confirm that the rapid decline in birth rates and aging population place the country at risk of a population cliff. According to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics of China on the 11th, the population as of November last year was 1.41178 billion, continuing an upward trend, but the population growth rate over the past decade was 0.53%, the lowest since the 1960s. The number of births in 2020 dropped to 12 million, down from 14.65 million the previous year, marking the lowest since 1961, when millions died during the Great Famine caused by the Great Leap Forward.

The number of newborns in China has been decreasing annually since peaking at 17.86 million in 2016, with 14.65 million in 2019 and 12 million in 2020. The low birth rate is also related to marriage rates. The number of marriages, which reached 13.47 million in 2013, sharply declined to 8.13 million last year. Conversely, divorces surged from 580,000 in 1987 to 3.73 million last year.

China's aging problem is even more severe. The elderly population aged 65 and over, which was 106 million in 2009, surged to 160 million in 2019. In ten years, the elderly population increased by 54 million, more than the entire population of South Korea. The population aged 60 and above reached 254 million. Chinese sociologists predict that by 2050, the population aged 65 and over will approach 400 million, far exceeding the threshold for a super-aged society (where the elderly population accounts for 20% of the total population).

Chinese population experts have forecasted that during the 14th Five-Year Economic Development Plan period (2021?2025), the elderly population aged 65 and over will increase by 300 million and have urged for countermeasures.

Xinhua News Agency reported that the recent meeting also reviewed measures to improve marriage, childbirth, child-rearing, and education, emphasizing the need to deepen research on national mid- to long-term population development strategies and regional population development plans.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.