'Covid-19 Has Lowered Marriages, Child Birth In China'

The pandemic of COVID-19 has worsened the drop in births and marriages. According to China's National Health Commission, COVID-19 has contributed to the country's declining marriage and birth rates, which have increased in recent years due to the high expenditures of schooling and child-rearing.

Many women are continuing to postpone their aspirations to marry or have children, according to the report, which adds that fast economic and social advancements have resulted in "deep shifts." Young people moving to cities, more time spent on school, and high-pressure job situations have all had a role, according to the report.

Demographers have also stated that China's unyielding "zero-COVID" policy of quickly eradicating any epidemics with severe controls on people's life may have had a deep and long-lasting impact on their willingness to have children. "The coronavirus has also had a demonstrable influence on certain people's marriage and childbearing arrangements," the report stated. Demographers predict that new births in China will plummet to historic lows this year, with projections calling for a decrease below 10 million compared to last year's 10.6 million infants - a figure 11.5% lower than in 2020. 

In 2021, China had a fertility rate of 1.16, one of the lowest in the world and much below the 2.1 rate considered required for a stable population by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). China, which implemented a one-child policy from 1980 to 2015, has admitted that its population is on the verge of declining, posing a possible catastrophe that would put the country's capacity to pay for and care for its elderly to the test.

To address the issue, national and provincial governments have implemented measures like as tax incentives, extended maternity leave, improved medical insurance, housing subsidies, and additional funds for a third child in the last year.