Family support, harm to career key questions in having second child

A lack of family support and a decrease in career prospects are the top reasons women hold back from having a second child, according to data collected via social media giant Sina Weibo.

Analyses of posts from 2013 and 2018 found that internet users' discussions about having a second child shifted from concerns over economic costs to mothers' worries of not having enough support from their husbands and damage to their careers.

In 2013, a representative post read: "In Shanghai, the birth of a child is followed by further requirements, like a new flat with at least three bedrooms and expensive education expenses, plus care for four parents and a car. It is frightening."