Authorities pledge to provide better care

Many young couples are unwilling to have a second child because of factors such as the high cost of raising a larger family and a lack of child care, professional or familial, according to Yang Wenzhuang, head of population and family affairs at the National Health Commission, citing surveys conducted by the organization.

Yang added that some women are concerned that a second child would interfere with their careers, noting that a 2017 survey of female employees who had given birth within the previous 12 months showed that one-third had seen their salaries fall.

In some companies with large numbers of female employees, women had to stagger their pregnancies to suit staffing conditions, and the number who chose to resign due to pregnancy had risen, he said.