Changes in society drive rate higher

In the 1980s, cesarean sections accounted for about 15 percent of total births in China, but since then the rate has risen rapidly year-on-year, according to the National Health and Family Planning Commission.

The reasons behind the rise are varied, ranging from improvements in medical technology to a change in public attitudes towards C-section.

"In the 1960s and the 1970s, women were more frequently involved in manual work, such as farming. They did more exercise and their diets contained less fat and sugar, which resulted in favorable conditions for natural births," said Zhang Lihua, an retired obstetrician who worked at Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital for many years.