China has tried in recent decades to curb its rapid population growth, but today the country’s birth rate is at an all-time low. The population is aging.
At first, China tried to suppress the birth rate, and now, on the contrary, it is stimulated. Admit it, it’s a little weird. According to the recommendations of health officials, it is now possible to terminate a pregnancy in China only for medical reasons.
India reached
China’s birth rate is expected to hit an all-time low this year, with fewer than 10 million children expected to be born in the country (10.6 million were born in China last year, down 11.5% from last year). According to UN forecasts, in 2023 India will overtake China as the most populous country in the world.
The fight against abortion
To this day, China is one of the world leaders in the number of abortions, according to the Gutmacher Institute. According to the Institute, about 78% of unplanned pregnancies in China end in abortion (the world average is 61%).
Between 2015 and 2019, China had an average of 9.5 million abortions annually, according to Chinese authorities. The Gutmacher Institute estimates the number of abortions during the same period at 17.7 million annually.
China also suffers from a serious gender imbalance due to a cultural preference for men: last year there were 37 million more men than women in the country.
Human rights activists believe that banning abortion will have a negative impact on millions of women.
“This is a violation of women’s reproductive rights and bodily autonomy,” said Alkan Akad, a China specialist at the human rights organization Amnesty International. “Forcing a person to have a child against their will – for any reason – is a direct violation of human. rights.”
“Chinese authorities must respect people’s lives and stop aggressive and punitive control over their sexual and reproductive rights,” Akad added.
A family – not a child?
The decline in the birth rate in China has led to a demographic aging of the population. According to the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, China’s population will begin to decline in 2025.
From 1980 to 2015, China had a “one family, one child” policy. In 2016, PRC authorities allowed families to have up to two children; five years later, the allowed number of children in a family was increased to three.
Source: korrespondent
I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.