In its 14th five-year plan, China allows married couples to have three children. The country announced this major decision on Monday. The country busted its one-child policy in 2016; replacing it with a two-child policy. And now it has come up with a three-child policy. The world’s most populous country saw a decline in recent births in the past few years.
China Enforces its Three-Child Policy in the Country
China came up with a two-child policy in 2016; to stave off risks to its economy from a rapidly aging population. Raising children in Chinese cities is not a sustainable option. This led to the failure of the two-child policy. However, even today, this challenge exists. It is still expensive to raise children in Chinese provinces. And now, the country has come up with a three-child policy. The main reason behind this amendment is the rising number of aging populations. Moreover, China’s recent births have recklessly declined. The recent changes in the policy; will improve the country’s population structure.
Several Other Facilities Announced
Along with the policy, China has announced various measures. Firstly, the country will lower educational costs for families. Secondly, they are going to set up tax and housing support. Thirdly, they will guarantee the legal interests of working women. Significantly, they are also planning to educate young people on marriage and love.
What was the Public’s Reaction?
The government put up a poll for the citizens. It was #AreYouReady for the three-child policy. Frankly speaking, the majority of the population was against it. Almost 31,000 people responded to the poll.
Near about, 29,000 people were against the new policy. On the other hand, the remaining people were in full support. They chose the ‘I’m ready’ option. Someone replied that they are ready; only if the government provided them 5 million Yuan. However, the poll was later removed. Experts believe that expense is the main reason behind people’s negligence. Moreover, Raising children in China is quite expensive. They have to cope up with everything else too. Housing, food, trips, education, etc. are unavoidable factors.
The One-Child and Two-Child Policies in China
The one-child policy in China was implemented in 1980. It was executed as the country’s population was sky-rocketing. However, the policy was more effectively implemented in urban areas. It was enforced through several means. Families were incentivized to have only one child. Moreover, contraceptives were widely available. Although, those who violated the policy were severely punished. Later on, they scrapped the policy in 2016. Meanwhile, they introduced the two-child policy.
