Explained: How China is planning to usher in 'new era' of marriage and childbearing culture

China’s population is on a decline. And recently, the United Nations reported that India had overtaken the Asian Dragon as the most populated country in the world. In an attempt to stop this trend, the Chinese authorities have been carrying out a slew of measures. On Monday, it launched a new pilot program in over 20 cities to promote a “new-era” of marriage and childbearing culture. The aim is to create a friendly environment that encourages more women to have children and marry at appropriate ages. China’s Family Planning Association, a national body that implements the government’s population and fertility measures, announced that the East Asian nation will launch the projects to encourage women to marry and have children, state backed Global Times reported on Monday. Promoting marriage, having children at appropriate ages, encouraging parents to share child-rearing responsibilities, and curbing high "bride prices " and other outdated customs are the focus of the projects, the Times said. **Also Read: Why has China's Sichuan province abolished the ban on unmarried people having children?** Cities included in the pilot include the manufacturing hub Guangzhou and Handan in China’s Hebei province. The association already launched projects in 20 cities including Beijing last year, the Times said. “The society needs to guide young people more on the concept of marriage and childbirth,” demographer He Yafu told the Times. The projects come amid a flurry of measures Chinese provinces are rolling out to spur people to have children, including tax incentives , housing subsidies, and free or subsidised education for having a third child. “The society needs to guide young people more on the concept of marriage and childbirth,” demographer He Yafu told the Times. [caption id=“attachment_12597182” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] China’s population has fallen for the first time in 60 years and is set to be reduced by half by the end of the century. AFP[/caption] Local authorities across China have unveiled a series of measures to encourage child-bearing, including monthly stipends of several hundred yuan for new parents and one-off “birth bonuses”. But those already with kids, as reported by AFP, say that balancing work in China’s cut-throat corporate world with a desire to give their offspring the best in life was dissuading many from having multiple children. The National Bureau of Statistics reported the country had 850,000 fewer people at the end of 2022 than over the previous year. It counts only the population of mainland China while excluding Hong Kong and Macao as well as foreign residents. China’s population has fallen for the first time in 60 years and is set to be reduced by half by the end of the century. **Also Read: What China's shrinking population means for the world** China implemented a rigid one-child policy from 1980 until 2015 - the root of many of its demographic challenges that have allowed India to become the world’s most populous nation. The limit has since been raised to three children. Concerned about China’s first population drop in six decades and its rapid ageing, the government’s political advisers proposed in March that single and unmarried women should have access to egg freezing and IVF treatment, among other services to boost the country’s fertility rate. Many women have been put off having more children or any at all due to the expense of child care and having to stop their careers, with gender discrimination still a key hurdle. With inputs from Reuters Read all the Latest News , Trending News , Cricket News , Bollywood News , India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.