China unveils new perks to boost slowing birth rate

 

As birth rates hit a historic low and officials issued a warning that the population will begin to decline by 2025, China on Tuesday unveiled a host of incentives designed to encourage families to have more children.

With a workforce that is fast getting older, an economy that is declining, and its weakest population growth in decades, the country with the largest population in the world has been battling an impending demographic crisis.

Birth rates have declined over the previous five years, despite Beijing lifting its strict "one-child ban" in 2016 and allowing couples to have three children last year.

The National Health Commission's policy recommendations, which were released on Tuesday, call for both the federal and state governments to expand funding for reproductive health and enhance childcare options statewide.

They mandate that local governments "adopt active fertility support measures," such as providing subsidies, tax breaks, and better health insurance, as well as help for young families in the areas of education, housing, and work.

To address a chronic lack of childcare options, all provinces must make sure they have adequate nurseries for kids between the ages of two and three by the end of the year.

Richer The latest recommendations aim to push all provinces. Chinese cities have begun providing tax and housing discounts, educational benefits, and even cash incentives to encourage women to have more children.

According to data from the National Bureau of Statistics, China's birth rate dropped to 7.52 births per 1,000 people last year, which is the lowest level since records began in 1949, the year Communist China was established.

The reduced birthrate has been attributed to higher living expenses as well as a cultural shift brought on by people becoming accustomed to fewer households.

Health officials warned earlier this month that by 2025, China's population will start to decline.