Despite the introduction of the two-child policy in 2015, Beijingers are becoming less and less likely to have two children. But that’s not necessarily because couples don’t want to have two children. For many Beijingers, concerns regarding finances, education options and adequate health care are all factoring into the decision to only have one child.
According to a recent government survey, roughly 60 percent of Beijing residents want to have two children. However, only 10 percent of these parents do. The survey was released on Saturday by the Social Work Committee.
China implemented its notorious one-child policy in 1979. However, it was officially abandoned in October 2015. Under the new law, all Chinese parents can now have two children. But the new policy has done little to spur birthrates in the country.
READ MORE: Birthrates Still Low a Year After Two-Child Policy Enacted
Beijing is a prime example. Fewer and fewer Beijingers actually want more than one child. In 2001, 70.4 percent of residents desired two children. A decade later, this number fell to 69.5 percent. And in 2016, the percentage dropped again to 58.6 percent.
According to the survey, the number of births in China dropped to 17.23 million in 2017. That’s compared to 17.86 million the year before.
In 2017, China’s labor force (aged 16 to 59) also decreased by 5 million people. The percentage of citizens 65 and over increased to 11.4 percent in 2017, compared to 10.8 in 2016.
Image via Yahoo News Singapore
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