Statistics from the Ministry of Public Security showed that the number of newborns recorded in the country’s household registration system dropped by 15 percent in 2020. Since 2013, the annual number of marriage registrations in the Chinese mainland began to decline and the proportion of women at childbearing age also shrank. Young couples are increasingly unwilling to have children even though family planning rules were relaxed in 2016, allowing couples to have two children. More and more Chinese women are independent and put their careers first. In addition, the surging expenses of raising a child have greatly dampened the enthusiasm for having children. It is critical to create a maternity-friendly social and cultural environment to encourage couples to have children. The government should provide more support for parents, including quality education, postnatal care and social insurance.
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