'High costs' may be why Xiamen couples in no hurry to have second child

Couples in Xiamen, Fujian province, are not rushing to have a second baby, as less than 20 percent of couples eligible to have a second child have applied to do so, according to the latest data released by the Xiamen Health and Family Planning Commission.

The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress endorsed the two-child policy in late 2013, allowing couples to have a second child if either parent is an only child. Fujian province relaxed the one-child policy on March 31.

According to the commission, 25,000 couples are entitled to have a second child in Xiamen, but until Sept 30, only 4,220 couples had applied for permission.