National features of the new Chinese pronatalism

Research Article
DOI: https://doi.org/10.19181/population.2023.26.4.4
EDN: FNKLXQ
How to Cite
Rusanova N.E., Wang Y. National features of the new Chinese pronatalism. Population. 2023. Vol. 26. No. 4. P. 39-51. DOI: https://doi.org/10.19181/population.2023.26.4.4

Abstract

In 2016 the Chinese demographic policy, as a result of improving the regulation of population development, was radically reoriented to increase the birth rate. The rejection of «one-child policy» began with permission to have a second child, and soon was supplemented by second births stimulation. Taking into account the world pronatalism, socio-economic measures were applied. They showed that the most effective results can be achieved with the help of socio-economic tools that prevent deterioration of living conditions of families after childbirth. The regional diversity of China determines variability of such measures, but everywhere they begin with targeted «child» payments and the creation of conditions, which do not interrupt women’s professional career after pregnancy and delivery, then they are expanded through social help to families with children, tax relief, reduction of housing and education costs, as well as measures relevant for specific population groups (large families, single mothers, etc.). The main criterion of the assistance targeting is the number of children, but its size and forms depend on local capabilities. The importance of material factors of reproductive choice decreases with an increase of living standards, the conditions making it possible to combine parenthood and profession, large family traditions, gender of children, fertility preservation with safe contraception become more important. Measures, taking into account national specifics, include availability of assisted reproduction programs and promoting a modern three-child family among the population of reproductive age, a significant part of which belongs to the generation consciously focused on small family.
Keywords:
fertility policy, pronatalsm, antinatalism, single child family, large family, assisted reproductive technologies

Author Biographies

Nina E. Rusanova, Institute of Socio-Economic Studies of Population of the FCTAS RAS, Moscow, Russia
Doctor of Economics, Leading Researcher
Ye Wang, VLV GROUP LLC, Moscow, Russia
Commercial Director

References

1. Bazhenova E. S. Naseleniye Kitaya: strategiya razvitiya i demograficheskoy politiki [1,300,000,000. Population of China: Development Strategy and Population Policy]. Moscow. Forum; 2010. 303 p. (in Russ.)

2. Bazhenova E. S. Naseleniye Kitaya: novyye tendentsii v epokhu modernizatsii i ekonomicheskikh reform [China’s population: new trends in the era of modernization and economic reforms]. Problemy Dal’nego Vostoka [Far Eastern Studies]. 2019. No. 5(1). P. 101–111. DOI: 10.31857/S013128120007131–5 (in Russ.)

3. Van L. Puti i formy sovershenstvovaniya migratsii krest’yan v goroda v Kitaye [Ways and forms of improving the migration of peasant to cities in China]. Vestnik Moskovskogo universiteta. Seriya 18. Sotsiologiya i politologiya [Moscow State University Bulletin. Series 18. Sociology and Political Science]. 2020. Vol. No. 26(2). P. 226–238. DOI: 10.24290/1029–3736–2020–26–2–226–238 (in Russ.)

4. Ostrovsky A. V. Ekonomika KNR — prognoz do 2030 goda. Osnovnyye problemy kitayskoy ekonomiki [Economy China — forecast to 2030. Main problems of China economy]. Vestnik Moskovskoj mezhdunarodnoj vysshej shkoly biznesa MIRBIS [MIRBIS Research Journal]. 2016. No. 2. P. 36–45. (in Russ.)

5. Veremeychik A. S. Zakonodatel’noye regulirovaniye demograficheskoy politiki v Kitaye (na primere Severo-Vostochnogo regiona) [Legislative regulation of demographic policy in China (on the example of the North-Eastern region)]. Obshchestvo i gosudarstvo v Kitaye [Society and State in China]. 2013. Vol. 43. No. 2. P. 474–485 (in Russ.).

6. Kalabikhina I. E., Shatalova E., Lieming F. Demographic situation in China: convergence or divergence? BRICS Journal of Economics. 2020. Vol. 1. No. 1. P. 81–101. DOI: 10.38050/2712–7508–2020–6

7. Lieming F., Shatalova E., Kalabikhina I. Determinants of regional fertility in China during the first years of reaching below-replacement fertility. BRICS Journal of Economics. 2022. Vol. 3. No. 3. P. 101–127. DOI: 10.3897/brics-econ.3.e83259

8. Lieming F. Will China’s «two-child in one family» policy to spur population growth work? Population and Economics. 2019. Vol. 3. No. 2. P. 36–44. DOI: 10.3897/popecon.3.e37962

9. Yang Y., He R., Zhang N., Li L. Second-child fertility intentions among urban women in China: a systematic review and meta-analysis. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2023. Vol. 20. No. 4. P. 37–44.

10. Chen S. The positive effect of women’s education on fertility in low-fertility China. European Journal of Population. 2022. Vol. 38. Iss. 1. Р.125–161. DOI: 10.1007/s10680–021–09603–2

11. Guo Z., Wu Z., Schimmele C. M., Shuzhuo L. The effect of urbanization on China’s fertility. Population Research and Policy Review. 2012. Vol. 31. P. 417–434. DOI: 10.1007/s11113–012–9230–0

12. Liu H., Liu L., Wang F. Housing wealth and fertility: evidence from China. Journal of Population Economics. 2023. Vol. 36. Iss. 1. P. 359–395. DOI: 10.1007/s00148–021–00879–6

13. Poh Lin Tan. Preodoleniye demograficheskogo spada [Reversiing demographic decline]. Finansy i razvitiye [Finance and Development]. 2020. March. P. 14–16. (in Russ.)

14. Stavrov I. V. Sotsial’noye razvitiye natsional’nykh rayonov Severo-Vostochnogo Kitaya (1978–2002 gg.) [Social development of national regions of North-East China (1978–2002)]. Rossiya i ATR [Russia and the Pacific]. 2007. No. 3. P. 90–104 (in Russ.)

15. Yang H., Han R., Wang Z. Third-child fertility intention and its scioeconomic factors among women aged 20–34 years in China. BMC Public Health. 2023. Vol. 23. Article No. 821. DOI: 10.1186/s12889–023–15719–3

16. Li Z., Qian S. The impact of COVID-19 on the intention of third-child in China: an empirical analysis based on survey data. BMC Public Health. 2023. Vol. 23. Article No. 1195. DOI: 10.1186/s12889–023–15944-w
Article

Received: 13.06.2023

Accepted: 08.12.2023

Citation Formats
Other cite formats:

APA
Rusanova, N. E., & Wang, Y. (2023). National features of the new Chinese pronatalism. Population, 26(4), 39-51. https://doi.org/10.19181/population.2023.26.4.4
Issue
Vol 26 No 4 (2023): Population
Section
DEMOGRAPHY: THEORY AND PRACTICE ISSUES