Emma Zang (@dremmazang.bsky.social)

China’s birthrate is plunging, but this isn’t just a demographic crisis. It’s a crisis of faith in the future. Why many young Chinese no longer believe in marriage, parenthood, or long-term planning — My new op-ed in Foreign Policy & ChinaFile: chinafile.com/reporting-op...

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China’s Birth Crisis Is a Crisis of Faith in the Future In recent years, the government has offered tax breaks, housing incentives, and fertility treatment coverage to encourage family formation. But these measures are unlikely to work. China’s birth rate has fallen from 2.5 births per woman in 1990 to just 1 birth per woman in 2023. The country’s declining birth rate is not only an economic problem but a cultural one. For many young people, the real barrier is not the cost of raising children. Rather, it is the conviction that parenthood no longer makes sense in a future that feels uncertain and unworthy of investment. Unless policies address this deeper malaise, subsidies and bonuses will do little to stem the decline. http://chinafile.com/reporting-opinion/viewpoint/chinas-birth-crisis-crisis-of-faith-future