 "'It is no longer difficult to have a baby': China strives to improve childcare, aims for better-skilled population")
China’s dwindling birth rate has become a cause of concern among policymakers and the government. The state-backed People’s Daily said that the country needs to focus on education, science and technology in order to train people to be more skilled. It added that China will strive for a “moderate fertility” level to support economic growth. Meanwhile, Chinese President Xi Jinping recently attended a meeting to discuss the developments made by the country in terms of population development. The newspaper described population development as a major event linked to China’s “great rejuvenation”.
The government, concerned with China’s rapidly ageing population preceded by its first population drop in six decades, has been working to implement measures to reverse the country’s declining birth rate. Such measures include financial incentives and boosting childcare facilities. China will double the number of childcare centres by 2025, state-backed broadcaster CCTV said on Tuesday, with the headline “It is no longer difficult to take care of a baby”.
The number of caregivers per 1,000 people will increase to 4.5 by 2025 from 2.5 in 2022, it added.
Many Chinese women are reluctant to have more than one or even any children due to the high costs of child-rearing and as the lack of childcare means becoming a parent often entails giving up a career. Gender discrimination and traditional thinking that places the burden of caring for children mostly on women are still widespread throughout the country. Authorities have in recent months increased rhetoric about sharing child-rearing duties but paternity leave is still limited in most provinces.
Opening up fertility services to unmarried women may help to boost the country’s fertility rate, the government’s political advisers proposed in March.
With inputs from agencies
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