After several years of decline in birth rates, China’s population dropped for the first time in 60 years, falling to 1.41 billion in 2022. To boost birth rates in the face of a shrinking population, the health commission of Sichuan province announced on January 28th that starting from February 15th, several restrictions for the registration of newborn babies will be lifted. This includes marital status, number of births, as well as simplification of the birth registration process overall. These measures stirred up conversations on this matter.
Sichuan province’s lift of birth registration restrictions ignites online discussions
The hashtag #Sichuan dropped birth registration restrictions on unmarried people# has been trending on Chinese social media Weibo. Since the release of the announcement, it was viewed over 320 million times within 3 days. “Our priority should be improving the treatment and protection of married mothers.” A netizen from Hebei commented. “If so, what is the point of getting married?” Another netizen from Sichuan said.
Addressing misconceptions: Sichuan’s measures aim to protect unmarried pregnancies
Online discussions got so heated. The Health Commission of Sichuan had to clarify that the new regulation is not encouraging having children outside of marriage. Instead, the newly released measures are meant to protect the interests of those who get pregnant before marriage.
Apart from lifting birth registration restrictions, more measurements have been taken in recent years to deal with the declining birth rates. For instance, nursing expenses will be deductible for babies under the age of three. However, whether the benefit policies would significantly impact China’s population in the future remains to be seen.
China’s population declines: birth rates drop, historic population decrease
- China’s population has been declining for several years and experienced its first drop in 60 years, falling to 1.41 billion in 2022.
- To address the shrinking population, the health commission of Sichuan province lifted several restrictions on the registration of newborn babies, including marital status and number of births. The announcement sparked intense online discussions, with some expressing concerns about the impact on married mothers and others questioning the significance of marriage.
- The health commission clarified that the measures aim to protect the interests of those who become pregnant before marriage. Additional measures, such as deductible nursing expenses for children under three, have also been implemented. However, their long-term impact on China’s population remains uncertain.
