2024-08-04 10:30:00
After China relaxed its fertility restrictions, many women of working age do not want to have children or have more children. The national birth rate will increase again in 2023record low, the number of newborns may increase this year, but it will still be difficult to reverse the continued decline in fertility rates. In order to save the fertility crisis, local governments in China have intensively launched measures to encourage fertility, strive to create a fertility-friendly social atmosphere, and find ways to treat pregnant women kindly, hoping to increase the fertility rate.
Demography scholars interviewed believe that the current fertility support policies introduced by local governments are too weak, and most local governments do not have enough financial resources to subsidize fertility. To increase China’s fertility rate, fertility support measures need to be introduced at the central level.
Expectant mother Yu Tong (30 years old, white-collar worker in Beijing) recently experienced the “VIP” service for pregnant mothers on the Beijing subway. When interviewed, she said that she was more than four months pregnant and her pregnancy was not obvious. When traveling on the subway, she was worried that there were too many people during rush hours and she would be pushed by the crowds accidentally, which would affect her fetus. She just happened to read the subway travel guide for pregnant mothers on Xiaohongshu, so she made an appointment for the subway’s caring service without hesitation.
“As soon as we entered the station, a maternity nurse in work clothes was waiting to greet us at the appointed place. Then she walked in front to escort and guide her, and went to the carriage to help find a seat. After arriving at the station, there was another maternity nurse at the door of the carriage. Wait, and then accompany you all the way to the exit.”
The Beijing subway provides “personal bodyguard” services to pregnant women, which she said she was “flattered” and felt unaccustomed to. However, she said she was very happy to have the opportunity to enjoy such super privileges.
There are maternity nurses in the subway, and pregnant women can also wear smart maternity cards or badges with the pregnant woman logo on them to receive special care in public places. For example, staff can help with luggage without going through the security gate… These specific and minute details are among the many measures the Chinese government has taken to respond to the looming fertility crisis.
China’s fertility rate has continued to decline in recent years. According to the seventh census data, in 2020, the total fertility rate of women of childbearing age in China has fallen below the warning line of 1.5, to 1.3. Not only is it lower than the world average of 2.41, it is also lower than the average of 1.6 in high-income countries and 1.9 in upper-middle-income countries. It is even lower than 1.34 in Japan, which has an aging population and a declining birthrate.
In order to reverse the extremely low fertility rate, in 2021, after China’s population reached its peak, it began to lift the three-child birth limit and encourage women to have more children, but the progress has not been smooth. In 2022, China’s population will nearlyFirst negative growth in 61 yearsChina’s population will decline at a faster rate in 2023, and the number of newborns will drop to 9.02 million.
Declining fertility rates and changes in demographic structure will inevitably drag down economic growth. As a result, the Chinese government changed its practice of strictly restricting births in the past few decades, and instead encouraged births and advocated preferential treatment for pregnant women throughout society.
Zhao Xiaochun (35 years old, company employee), who just gave birth to a child in January this year, told Lianhe Zaobao that since becoming pregnant, she and more than 200 other pregnant women have become the focus of attention at the community health center where she lives.
“Every time you have a prenatal check-up, you have to @community doctor in the WeChat group; if you fail the prenatal check-up, the doctor will call immediately to analyze why your blood sugar has been relatively high recently, carefully ask about your daily diet, and advise you to eat less sweets. Exercise more and control your weight…”. Xiaochun was very touched by the concern from non-family members. She said: “This reflects the society’s care and respect for pregnant mothers.”
To ensure the mental health of pregnant women, community hospitals will also conduct psychological assessments for pregnant women at different stages of pregnancy. It is understood that many cities in China conduct psychological assessments on pregnant women to relieve their anxiety during childbirth and ensure the health of mothers and babies.
China has laws prohibiting discrimination against pregnant women, but in real life, many women still worry about occupational discrimination due to childbirth.
In order to relieve the worries of pregnant women in the workplace, China implemented a new version of the “Women’s Rights and Interests Protection Law” last year, encouraging pregnant women in the workplace to bravely take up legal weapons to safeguard their legitimate rights and interests. China’s official media has also frequently joined forces with the legal department to publicize the “pregnancy privileges” to pregnant women in the workplace through case studies and support pregnant women in the workplace.
With the whole society caring about pregnant women, life seems to have never been so easy for pregnant women in China. Local governments and some enterprises have launched various maternity subsidies and benefits.
After China relaxed its policy on three-child births, various regions have extended maternity leave, generally increasing it to 158 days from the 98-day basic maternity leave stipulated by the state. Among them, Tibetan women have one year of maternity leave for each child, and women in Qinghai, Jiangxi and other places can take 188 days. In addition, many places also provide the man with more than 10 days of paternity leave.
With the intensive introduction of measures to encourage childbirth, all walks of life have responded to the call of national policies and strive to create a childbearing-friendly social atmosphere. Optimists believe that, stimulated by a series of family planning policies and this year coincides with the Year of the Dragon when people prefer to have children, a “baby boom” may be ushered in.
Various parts of China have recently released birth data for the first half of the year. According to the observation of independent demographer He Yafu, from the published data, the number of births in most areas has increased to varying degrees compared with the same period last year.
In an interview, he said that the number of people born in 2024 will increase slightly compared with last year, but it will not be called a “baby boom”. He said that China’s total population will definitely still have negative growth this year. The number of births is estimated to be between 9 million and 10 million, and the number of deaths is about the same as last year, with more than 11 million.
He said that if more intensive fertility support measures are not introduced, China’s birth population will continue to decline starting next year. In the past two years, although governments across China have launched many fertility support policies, “the policy intensity is too small” and is not enough to reverse the declining fertility rate.
He suggested that to increase China’s fertility rate, the central level should introduce a childcare subsidy policy. “Only the central government has the financial resources, and most local governments do not have enough financial resources to subsidize childbirth.”
He also suggested completely relaxing birth restrictions and explicitly encouraging children to have any number of children. He said that although few people are willing to have more than four children, it has a positive symbolic meaning for increasing China’s fertility rate.
Both Yu Tong, the expectant mother, and Zhao Xiaochun, a first-time mother, said they would not consider having a second child because “it is not difficult to have a baby, but raising a baby is too tiring.”
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