Population push by Beijing calls for shift in attitudes of society
The multipronged strategy China needs to reverse a declining population is laid out in a State Council policy document. Issued by 17 ministries, it contains approaches widely acknowledged by demographers as being necessary to encourage couples to marry and have children.
On paper, it would seem to have the right ingredients for success. But formulating a plan is only the beginning; ensuring it is properly enacted and supported by local governments, employers and society is essential.
Beijing's goal is for couples to have up to three children. China has one of the world's lowest fertility rates, with the average number of babies born to each woman being just 1.3.
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Falling birth levels and an ageing population have grave implications for national development. Encouraging people to raise families is an important first step.
But a web of factors has to be dealt with. Child-rearing is expensive in many urban areas due to rising costs for housing, food and education and a paucity of affordable day-care options.
Most of the burden of caring for families falls on women, making juggling careers difficult. Increasingly well-educated, many would prefer to follow their vocational calling rather than marry and have children.
The course of action put forward goes some way to addressing those issues. Employers are encouraged to adopt flexible working hours and give those with children the option to work from home.
Recommendations are also made to improve living standards and access to public facilities. Among them are bigger public housing flats, an extension of existing tax incentives for those with youngsters under three years old and a comprehensive package of support measures to be determined by local authorities.
But top-down policies also require grass-roots support. There were 7.63 million marriages last year, the lowest number since records began 36 years ago.
The figure has been falling since peaking in 2013, young singles seemingly more interested in getting good jobs and climbing career ladders. Women are particularly reticent; they see having children as a barrier to getting promoted and are only too aware of the expectation many men have that wives do the lion's share of child-rearing and household chores.
Changing such attitudes requires a societal shift and does not happen overnight. Authorities also have to be mindful that China's population crisis is in large part a consequence of the one-child policy, affecting most families and in place from 1980 until 2016, when couples were allowed to have two children and then three from last year.
Ultimately, it is up to people themselves when they consider the time is right to marry and start a family. Authorities need resolve to ensure enticing and meaningful conditions are in place.
This article originally appeared on the South China Morning Post (SCMP).
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