Jakarta –
Haunted by the sex recession, China has experienced a population decline. One of the reasons why many women in China are reluctant to have children is the high cost of raising children, for example related to schooling.
“I can’t afford to support the children,” said Gloria Tok, a mother in her 30s from China, quoted by the BBC, Saturday (11/3/2023).
Gloria estimates that she needs at least $2,400 or the equivalent of around Rp. 37 million to support the living of children in China every month. Even though Gloria only works as an elementary school teacher with an income of around $873 or the equivalent of Rp.13.5 million per month.
As the only child in the family, Gloria said that she had to focus more on paying off her mortgage and saving for her aging parents.
How Severe is the Population Decline in China?
Recent data from the China Population and Development Research Center shows that most women in China want to have only one child or none at all. The percentage of women in China who do not have children has increased from 6 percent in 2015 to 10 percent in 2020.
In addition, data shows that Chinese women of childbearing age have a lower desire to have children with an average number of children from 1.76 in 2017 to 1.64 in 2021.
“China is different from other countries. Not only is it said that fertility is low, but the desire to be fertile is also low,” said Dr Shuang Chen, assistant professor of International Social and Public Policy at the London School of Economics and Political Science.
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(avk/vyp)
