China’s total fertility rate has slumped down below the
warning line and the population growth has entered a critical turning point,
Chinese Minister of Civil Affairs Li Jiheng said amidst demographers warning of
a decline soon, PTI reported on Thursday.

Ending a decade-old one child policy, China permitted
citizens to have a second child in 2016.

Demographers have called on the government to
be more tolerant towards birth rate, including children born out of wedlock as
well as lowering the cost of raising and educating children.

Li in an article, citing various influential factors,
claimed recently that Chinese people are less willing to have children,
resulting in the fertility rate going down below the warning line.

Additionally,
the population development has entered a critical transition period, AFP quoted
Chinese state-run Global Times as saying on Thursday.

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On November 1, China started the largest population count in
the world to document demographic changes that have taken place inside the country.

Close to seven million workers have started conducting a
door-to-door documentation process for the census which stated the country’s
population to be 1.37 crore 10 years ago.

He Yafu, an independent demographer, reportedly
told the newspaper that the total fertility rate should remain at about 2.1 in
order for the country’s population to be stable, and the current TFR at 1.5 is indicating
a warning line of high sensitivity.

In 2019, the birth rate of the country was 10.48
per 1000 people.

Despite the slowing birth rate, a low death rate and a growing
life expectancy, the country saw a boom in population as the total population
reached 1.41 billion in 2019, an increase from 1.39 billion. The country’s
population is expected peak at 2029 with a total population of 1.44 billion.

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Recent studies have said China’s population is aging at
a rate and scale that is historically unprecedented. The Communist nation is
expected to lose 400 million working age persons this century, and the number
is already falling.

China’s falling birth rate forces a further economic
challenge – as fewer births will lead to a smaller workforce having to sustain
a larger, retired population emanated from greater life expectancy.

The Asian
country’s life expectancy has risen to 76 from 66 in 1980. 

The economy, in order to adjust to these
changes in life expectancy, will need to make further changes in healthcare and
pension systems.