Exploring China's declining population and the shift to a three-child policy. Comparisons to Western pro-natalism efforts. Implications of aging demographics and strategies to address population shrinkage. Adapting society to support an aging population. Role of robots in Japan for aging individuals and rethinking growth perspectives.
China aims to boost population growth through policy changes, but challenges remain in increasing birth rates.
Adapting to aging populations requires reimagining work systems and embracing technological advancements for elder care.
Deep dives
China's Population Decline and Policy Shifts
China is facing a population decline, prompting policy shifts to encourage more births. From the one-child policy to now allowing up to three children, the government aims to boost population growth. Despite these changes, the actual number of people having three children remains low, signaling challenges in increasing birth rates.
Implications of Population Decline on Economy
The declining birth rate in China raises concerns about the aging population and its impact on the economy. A shrinking workforce could affect labor-intensive industries, tax revenue, and social welfare systems. The shift towards migration as a solution for population growth highlights the complexity of demographic changes and economic sustainability.
Adapting to Aging Societies
As populations age worldwide, societies need to adapt by focusing on the well-being and productivity of older individuals. Reimagining work systems and pension structures becomes essential to support longer, healthier lives. Embracing technological advancements like robots for elder care complements broader efforts to enhance overall quality of life for aging populations.
You would have thought with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, China wouldn’t be too worried about the number of people living there declining a bit.
But as it faces the challenges of an economic slowdown and an ageing society, Beijing is urging families to have more babies to stop a population decline that’s been recorded for a second year in a row.
But is a falling birth rate necessarily a bad thing?
Featured:
Stuart Gietel-Basten, Professor of Social Science and Public Policy at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
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