China, where birth rates have been steadily declining since 2017, claims that the coronavirus epidemic is to blame for the decline.
According to Reuters, the country’s National Health Commission claimed that COVID-19 was a factor in the dropping marriage and birth rates across the country.
In response to inquiries from Reuters, the commission stated that ‘the coronavirus has also had a clear influence on the marriage and delivery arrangements of certain persons.’
Even while quick social and economic change has brought about ‘deep transformations,’ the survey claims that many women are still delaying their plans to get married or have children.
It said that young people migrating to urban areas, going to school for longer periods of time, and having demanding employment have all contributed.
Demographers claim that China’s rigid ‘zero-COVID’ policy may have had a dramatic, long-lasting negative impact on people’s willingness to have children due to its stringent controls over people’s life.
According to demographers, this year will see the lowest number of births in the nation’s history, plummeting from 10.6 million infants in 2018 to less than 10 million.
China has one of the lowest fertility rates ever observed in 2021 with a rate of 1.16. According to the OECD, a fertility rate of 2.1 is required for a stable population.
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