China has officially ended its one child policy, signing into law of a bill allowing all married couples to have a second child as the country attempts to cope with an ageing population and shrinking workforce. The change, which was announced in October by the ruling Communist Party, takes effect from January 1. All married couples will be allowed to have a second child but the legislation maintains limits on additional births.

What is One Child Policy???

• The one-child policy, instituted in the late 1970s, restricted most couples to only a single offspring and for years authorities argued that it was a key contributor to China’s economic boom and had prevented 400 million births.
• It has been enforced by a dedicated national commission with a system of fines for violators and often forced abortions, leading to heartrending tales of loss for would-be parents.

Outcome of the Policy

• The policy led to sex-selective abortions or infanticide targeting girls, because of a centuries-old social preference for boys.
• As a result China’s population — the world’s largest at 1.37 billion — is now ageing rapidly, gender imbalances are severe, and its workforce is shrinking.

Statistics

• According to the latest figures, the number of people aged 60 or over in China has reached 212 million at the end of 2014, accounting for 15.5 per cent of the country’s population, with the number of disabled elderly people approaching 40 million.
• The United Nations has predicted that people over age 65 will account for 18 per cent of China’s population by 2030, double the number in 2011 which will have a negative bearing on China’s labour availability.
• By 2050, China is expected to have nearly 500 million people over 60, exceeding the population of the US.