More support to check population slide

The demographic data for 2021 shows 10.62 million births and 10.14 million deaths in China, and a net population growth of 480,000, or 0.034 percent, the lowest since 1960.

The National Bureau of Statistics data released on Monday triggered widespread social concern, underlining the need to analyze the reasons. At a news conference on Monday, Ning Jizhe, head of the NBS, said there are multiple reasons for the falling birthrates, such as a drop in the number of women of childbearing age, changes in young people's views about marrying and starting a family, as well as the COVID-19 pandemic that has upset many such plans.

Thanks to the new three-child policy, the demographic curve should remain relatively stable and there is little danger of China's population dropping abruptly.

However, it remains an issue worth paying attention to as a falling birthrate might hasten Chinese society's aging process. In order to avoid a "hard landing" of the demographic curve, it is necessary to make a long-term, comprehensive, strategic birth support system and create an environment that is suitable for those planning families.

The first thing to do is to introduce more favorable policies to encourage the young to have children. Ever since the central leadership introduced the three-child policy in May, more than 10 provincial-level administrative regions are giving longer pregnancy-and birth-related leave.

Some cities have even subsidized the prices of new apartments for families with two or three children. These policies have often proved effective and could be extended to more places.

More assurances and subsidies should also be given in education, housing and health to reduce the economic burden on bigger families. Baby-sitting units are coming up at some places so that children can be well taken care of while their parents go to work.

The idea is to reduce the burden on families with children by offering them more support from society. That will make it easier for couples to plan to have more children and so push up the domestic birthrate.