The birth rate fell last year in China, falling to its lowest level in 40 years despite the communist regime’s efforts to persuade families to have more children.
Although the Chinese have been allowed to have a second child since 2016, and three this year, Beijing is facing the risk of an aging population and declining active population.
Despite the covid-19 epidemic, which forced many couples to stay home in early 2020, the birth rate dropped significantly last year, to 8.52 births per 1,000 inhabitants, according to statistics released.
This is the lowest number recorded since these data were published in 1978.
In 2019 the birth rate reached 10.41 births per 1,000 inhabitants. This number was already the lowest recorded since the establishment of the communist regime in 1949, according to the Chinese National Statistics Service.
The incentives provided by the government do not seem to affect households, which are facing rising living costs, especially education and housing costs.
After all, the number of marriages dropped significantly last year, falling to its lowest level in 17 years. Only 8.14 million couples got married.
The number of divorces also fell for the first time in more than 30 years, falling to 4.34 million.
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