China’s childbirth conundrum sees costs keep people from getting on board for baby boom

China should focus on childbirth support and lower the cost of raising children as it grapples with demographic issues that have not been seen elsewhere in the world, a Communist Party newspaper urged on Tuesday.

Supporting families with children, including putting more government resources into preschool education, should be prioritised in efforts to deal with a population that is shrinking and rapidly ageing, according to the Study Times, a publication under the Central Party School.

The call came amid authorities’ vow to build a “childbirth-friendly society” to encourage births as the country’s total population started declining two years ago and the birth rate fell to an all-time low of 6.39 for every 1,000 people last year.

“Various types of costs paid by families and individuals are the main factors impeding the desire to have children,” the newspaper said in an opinion piece by Du Yang, head of the Institute of Population and Labour Economics under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

It pointed to the substantial gap between China and developed countries in public spending on preschool education, while stressing its significance to improving population quality – a vision that President Xi Jinping has reiterated.

The world’s second-largest economy is facing unique demographic challenges that lack direct international comparisons, Du emphasised in the article.