China is facing a population crisis but some women continue to say ‘no’ to having babies
China is facing a population crisis in part due to more women choosing to focus on their careers and personal goals, instead of starting a family.
Already grappling with an aging population and poised to be overtaken by India as the world’s most populous country, China continues to struggle to boost its birth rate.
The Chinese government abolished its one-child policy in 2016 and scrapped childbirth limits in 2021. However, married couples are having fewer children — or choosing to not have any at all, said Mu Zheng, assistant professor at the department of sociology and anthropology at the National University of Singapore.
“Covid continues to have many negative repercussions and has caused an overall sense of uncertainty towards the future,” Mu told CNBC. “There’s a sense of helplessness that is prohibiting many women from wanting to have children.”
The rising cost of living is also steering more people away from wanting to expand their family, she added.
China’s National Bureau of Statistics reported that the population dipped to 1.412 billion last year from 1.413 billion in 2021. The natural growth rate was negative for the first time since 1960, according to Wind data.
Career and freedom remain a priority
China has a larger population of mothers in the workforce compared with countries in the West, Andy Xie, an independent economist, told CNBC.
“There is a desire to have a career in China and being a stay-home mother is never a goal. It doesn’t even appear on the radar for most women,” Xie said.
As more women attain higher qualifications and rise up the ranks in the workplace, they expect their husbands to earn more than them, according to Xie.
In 2020, female students accounted for almost 42% of doctorate degree enrollment, and a significantly higher number of women enrolled for a master’s degree than men, Statista data showed.
“Men face a tremendous burden as women would demand financial security from them,” and in turn wouldn’t want to get married either, according to Xie who said that “people used to be criticized for being single, but there’s no social stigma against it anymore.”
Women in China who want to freeze their eggs must be married, according to Chinese regulations.
However, some women in China want children but may not be ready to get married, said Mu the assistant professor from NUH.
“Women are now more economically independent … so marriage is not such an attractive option to many of them,” she said.
According to data from CEIC, 7.64 million couples got married in 2021, a decline from 8.14 million in 2020.
