It is a blessing for parents who do not wish to pay a large fine or, in the case of civil servants, be dismissed from their jobs. Some women have faced pressure to have abortions or sterilisations
The government’s previous fears of galloping population growth now seem quaint. At 1.3, China’s fertility rate is among the lowest in the world. Data from the, released on May 11th, showed that only 12m babies were born last year, a drop of almost 20% from 2019. It was China’s lowest population growth since the 1960s, when the country was reeling from a famine.
For parents who do wish to have a third child, the change of policy will be a relief. Illicit births can incur a large fine or, in the case of civil servants, result in dismissal. Some women are put under pressure—illegally—by zealous local officials to undergo abortions if giving birth would cause a quota to be exceeded. With the three-child policy, the government is sending a signal that it is “moving very decisively to a pro-fertility policy”, says James Liang of Peking University.
The Politburo said it would provide better child-care facilities, improve state-funded provisions for looking after the elderly, expand maternity benefits and lower the cost of education. It also promised to “protect the rights of women in employment”. It has been doing a poor job of it. In 2019 the government vowed to make more firms comply with existing anti-discrimination laws.
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