China's one-child policy

5.3.1 Problems

5.3.3 Kerala

China's one-child policy

  1. In the 1970s, China experienced a baby boom that threatened a future crisis like famine, so in 1979, the government imposed the “Family planning policy”

  2. Requirements for each couple

    1. They must not marry until their late 20s
    2. They must have only one successful pregnancy
    3. They must be sterilised after the first birth or abort future pregnancies

  3. Incentives

    1. 5-10% salary rise
    2. Priority housing, pension and family benefits
    3. Free education for the single child

  4. Penalisations for a second child

    1. 10% salary cut
    2. A large fine that would bankrupt many households
    3. Must pay for both children’s education
    4. Must pay for health care
    5. Second children born abroad are not penalised but are not allowed to become Chinese citizens

  5. Exceptions

    1. Multiple births
    2. Handicapped babies
    3. Minority groups otherwise their population may become unsustainable
    4. Families in rural areas if the firstborn is female, since a son is perceived to be essential for working the land

  6. Problems

    1. Women are forced to have an abortion as late as the ninth month of pregnancy
    2. Women are placed under tremendous pressure from their families, workmates and the “granny police”, who are older women of the community entrusted with the task of keeping everyone in line, as well as their own conscience & feelings
    3. Local officials and central government have power over people’s private lives
    4. Daughters are less desirable and so are killed or abandoned, putting a strain on orphanages and leading to a 5:4 gender inbalance in boys & girls
    5. Only children are often over-indulged, so-called “little emperors”
    6. Rich people and officials are often able to have a second child regardless
    7. The 4-2-1 effect, wherein couples will potentially have to care for four elderly parents and a child between the pair of them

  7. Benefits

    1. An estimated 400 million fewer people have been born
    2. The forecasted crisis has not happened
    3. There is enough food & jobs for the population
    4. Increased technology and exploitation of resources have increased the standard of living
    5. New industries have lifted millions out of poverty
    6. With less time required for child care, women have had the opportunity to concentrate on careers, so have achieved more

  8. Changes to the policy

    1. Couples who are both only children are allowed to have two children; in November 2013, this was relaxed further to couples wherein only one of them is a single child
    2. The policy is unlikely to relax any more since in 2008, China still experienced 1 million more births than deaths every 5 weeks and 600 million people, half the population, still live on less than $2 a day