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The United Nations has predicted that China’s population could fall drastically by 2100, going from 1.4 billion today to just 800 million. The number has been declining for three consecutive years.
The number of births last year is half that of 2016, when Beijing ended its one-child policy.
Marriage rates are at a record low. And young couples are putting off having babies. One reason is the high cost of raising a child.
To encourage having children and potentially boost the birth rate, the country’s State Council has announced no childcare and education fees for children attending public kindergarten in the year before primary school. This policy will start in the autumn term of 2025.
The announcement comes a week after the country said it would offer parents the equivalent of US$500 per year for each child under the age of three.
The nation’s population declined by 1.39 million last year. China lost its crown as the world’s most populous country to India in 2023.
