Favorable policies can raise fertility rate

Some provinces and cities have of late issued policies to encourage couples to have two children. But will they be effective?

Statistics show China has stepped into an era that is characterized by a low fertility rate and rapid aging. Since the 1990s, China's fertility rate has been lower than the replacement rate. When the fifth census was held in 2000, China's total fertility rate was 1.22 - but the figure fell to 1.18 in the 2010 census. In fact, for years, China's total fertility rate has been below 1.3, among the lowest in the world.

China's low fertility rate is endogenous. The fertility rate has been low in China for a long time, as having just one child (or no child in some cases) for couples has become a cultural trait of modern lifestyle in both urban and rural areas. The low fertility rate therefore is a severe demographic challenge for China.