China Conducts Survey to Understand Fear of Having Children

In a significant move to address its dwindling birthrate, China’s National Health Commission (NHC) has launched a new survey to Understand Fear of Having Children targeting 30,000 people across 150 counties and 1,500 different communities.

This effort is part of the government’s broader initiative to understand the factors behind the growing reluctance to have children and to tackle the underlying fear associated with childbearing.

With its population steadily declining for the second consecutive year in 2023, Beijing is determined to reverse this trend and promote childbirth, particularly among young couples.

The findings from this large-scale survey are expected to provide valuable insights into the socio-economic and cultural factors affecting birth rates in China, helping policymakers formulate effective fertility support and incentive measures.

The Fear of Having Children: Unpacking the Reluctance

One of the primary objectives of the NHC survey is to delve deeper into the psychological and emotional barriers that have led many young Chinese to shy away from having children. In recent years, a complex array of factors has contributed to this trend, ranging from economic pressures to shifting societal values.

The high cost of living in urban areas, coupled with the financial burden of raising children, has made many prospective parents think twice before expanding their families.

Additionally, China’s fast-paced economy has created a work culture that prioritizes long hours and productivity, often at the expense of family life. These pressures have left little room for people to embrace the traditional family model, leading to what the government refers to as the “fear of having children.”

Another contributing factor to this reluctance is the changing attitudes towards marriage and family among China’s younger generations. Increasingly, young people are prioritizing personal freedom, career advancement, and self-fulfillment over starting a family.

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The trend is particularly noticeable among urban women, who are more likely to delay marriage and childbirth in pursuit of higher education and professional success. While such shifts in societal norms are common in many developed nations, China’s government views them as obstacles to its long-term goals of sustaining a strong, rejuvenated nation.

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The survey will shed light on how deeply these fears and concerns run among the population, providing a clearer understanding of the cultural changes driving this reluctance.

Furthermore, the fear of childbearing is also tied to concerns over the distribution of parenting responsibilities. Chinese health officials have emphasized the importance of shared parenting roles between mothers and fathers, yet traditional gender norms continue to place the burden of child-rearing squarely on women.

This imbalance, combined with limited support for working mothers, has created a situation where many women feel overwhelmed by the prospect of balancing career and family life.

The survey aims to identify how these issues are contributing to the growing aversion to childbearing and what policies could be introduced to encourage shared responsibilities and alleviate the pressure on women.

Government Initiatives to Boost the Birthrate

China’s declining birthrate has become a critical issue for its policymakers, prompting the government to introduce a series of initiatives aimed at encouraging young couples to have children.

After decades of strict family planning policies, including the infamous one-child policy, the country is now trying to reverse the damage caused by its restrictive approach to population growth.

In 2016, China officially relaxed its family planning policies, allowing couples to have up to two children, and in 2021, the government further expanded this to permit up to three children per family.

Despite these efforts, birth rates have continued to fall. The country’s population decreased for the first time in 2022, with a drop of approximately 850,000 people, and the trend persisted in 2023.

Experts attribute this to a combination of economic uncertainties, rising costs of living, and the aforementioned cultural shifts in attitudes towards marriage and family. The government has responded by rolling out a range of incentive measures designed to make parenthood more appealing.

Among these measures are financial subsidies for families, expanded maternity and paternity leave, and improvements to childcare services. Some regions have introduced housing subsidies and tax breaks for families with more than one child.

There has also been a push to improve access to fertility treatments for couples struggling to conceive, as infertility rates have risen in China over the years. In addition, efforts are being made to promote more flexible working arrangements, allowing parents to better balance work and family responsibilities.

However, these measures have so far yielded limited success. Many young Chinese continue to cite concerns about the affordability of raising children, particularly in major cities like Beijing and Shanghai, where housing costs and education expenses are prohibitively high.

The government’s push to advocate marriage and childbirth at “appropriate ages” has also faced resistance, as young people increasingly prioritize personal goals and delay marriage. To combat these challenges, the survey will provide crucial data on what additional support measures may be necessary to encourage childbirth and family formation in the years ahead.

Population Decline and Its Implications for China’s Future

China’s population decline is not just a demographic issue; it has far-reaching implications for the country’s economic and geopolitical future. A shrinking population poses significant challenges to China’s labor market, social welfare system, and overall economic growth.

As the population ages, the proportion of working-age individuals to retirees is decreasing, placing immense pressure on the country’s pension and healthcare systems. Without a growing younger population to support the elderly, China faces the risk of a labor shortage, which could hinder its global economic ambitions.

The decline in birth rates also affects China’s ability to maintain its status as a major manufacturing and industrial power. With fewer young workers entering the workforce, industries may struggle to meet demand, and the country’s competitive edge in sectors like technology and manufacturing could be compromised.

Additionally, China’s shrinking population could have broader geopolitical consequences, as the country’s ability to project power and influence on the global stage may be weakened by internal demographic challenges.

The Chinese government is acutely aware of these risks, which is why it has placed such a strong emphasis on reversing the population decline. Population development has long been tied to the idea of a “strong and rejuvenated China” in state media, and officials frequently link demographic stability to national strength.

By conducting surveys like the one initiated by the NHC, the government hopes to gain a clearer understanding of the root causes behind the declining birthrate and develop targeted policies to address them.

Moreover, the survey’s findings could have important implications for other countries facing similar demographic challenges. As nations around the world grapple with declining birthrates and aging populations, China’s approach to understanding and addressing these issues could serve as a valuable case study.

The insights gained from the NHC survey may provide lessons for other countries looking to implement effective fertility support measures and promote family formation.

China’s ongoing efforts to understand and address the fear of having children mark a critical juncture in its demographic and social policies. The survey being conducted by the NHC is a key component of this broader initiative, as it seeks to uncover the underlying factors driving young people’s reluctance to start families.

By analyzing the data collected from 30,000 participants across 150 counties, the Chinese government hopes to gain valuable insights into the psychological, economic, and cultural barriers to childbirth and develop targeted solutions to boost its flagging birthrate.’

While the government has already introduced a range of incentive measures, including financial subsidies, expanded maternity leave, and improved childcare services, these efforts have so far been insufficient to reverse the population decline.

The survey’s findings will provide policymakers with the information they need to refine and expand these initiatives, ensuring that they effectively address the concerns and challenges faced by prospective parents.

As China grapples with the implications of its declining population, the outcomes of this survey could have significant consequences not only for the country’s domestic policies but also for its position on the global stage.

By addressing the root causes of its demographic challenges, China can work towards building a more sustainable and prosperous future for its people.