China Announces Big Changes To Improve Marriage, Birth Rates

China’s leadership has pledged to roll out new policies to encourage "positive attitudes toward marriage and childbearing" amid mounting concern over the country’s rapidly aging population. The plan will include a slate of measures to expand child care support, promote employment, and address the growing needs of the country’s "silver economy."

An estimated two-thirds of the world’s population now lives in countries with fertility rates below the level needed to sustain population growth. China has one of the world’s lowest, with a total fertility rate of around 1.0, and births fell by 17 percent in 2025. Authorities introduced a raft of new measures last year, but many analysts say deeper reforms will be needed.

Adding to the demographic challenge, a shrinking workforce has to support record numbers of retirees, adding pressure on China’s modest social safety nets.

Read more