Notes on China's One Child Policy

Pre-China One Child Policy (1970s)

• China realises high population growth is unsustainable
• “Later, Longer, Fewer” policy

• Encouraged parents to delay their first child
• Longer interval between births
• Encourage parents to have fewer children in general.

China Introduces One Child Policy (1978-1983)

• ‘One family, one child’ policy

• Limits family to one child

• This is due to the government seeing rapid population growth as a barrier to China’s development. China wanted to focus on growth in:

• Industry
• Agriculture
• Defence
• Science
• Technology

Results of China One Child Policy (1984-2013)

• Population growth reduced from 2.4% to 1%
• Average fertility rate in 2006 down to 1.7 children per woman.
• Precluded the need for China to cope with 300 million extra births.
• More relaxing in 21st Century – Rural families may now have two children

Consequences of the ‘One family, one child’ policy

• Led to 86 girls to 100 boys in China
• Desire to have a boy is part of China’s culture

• ‘Only a son’ can carry on the family line
• ‘Only a son’ can lead proper ceremonies of remembrance of ancestors
• In Rural areas, boys are preferred for farm work ad looking after ageing parents

• A second child is allowed in rural areas if the first is a girl

• Women have been under pressure to abort second pregnancies or undergo forced sterilisation if they have a girl.
• Some men divorce their wives if a girl is born – this way they can try again for a boy with a new wife
• Some new-born babied – especially girls – have been killed, abandoned at birth, or sold to ‘baby traffickers’
• Parents who have two children in a short time pretend they are twins to avoid being fined.
• Couples face being fined for having a second child which can be from $400 to $14,000. This fine can be a year’s salary for many workers

Demographic Transition in China