In an unusual predicament, hospitals across China are grappling with the imminent shutdown of maternity wards due to plummeting birth rates. Recent years have seen a steady decrease in the nation's population, with fewer women becoming pregnant. This has taken a toll on hospitals, leaving maternity sections deserted. A decline in births means many hospitals are unable to sustain these departments.
"Daily Economic News," a state news service, forecasts an exceptionally low birth rate this year, causing hospitals to face a 'dry spell.'
According to Reuters, hospitals in regions including eastern Zhejiang and southern Jiangxi have announced in the past two months that their maternity wards will be closed.
In Jiangxi's Ganzhou city, 'The Fifth People's Hospital' stated on its official WeChat account that maternity services will no longer be available from March 11th. Similarly, Jiangshan Hospital of Traditional Medicine in Zhejiang closed its delivery section on February 1st, as announced on their WeChat page – a platform as prevalent in China as X is in India and Twitter globally.
China's National Health Commission's latest data reveals that the number of maternity hospitals has decreased from 807 in 2020 to 793 in 2021.
As hospitals pivot from maternity care to elder care amidst a growing elderly population, China's policymakers are struggling with encouraging younger couples to aspire to parenthood. Officials face an awkward reality where a significant portion of the country's population is aging annually. This demographic shift presents a challenge for the government.
Source: aajtak
Hospitals in China are re-allocating resources for geriatric services due to an increasing elderly population, which demands more healthcare services. Finding an ample labor force for its massive labor market poses a challenge for China. Fewer people being born translates directly to fewer people available to work, a problem that endangers China's ambitions to emerge as the leading economic force in the 21st century.
It's noteworthy that for the second consecutive year in 2023, China witnessed a decline in population numbers. Record low birth rates and high mortality due to COVID-19 have exacerbated the dwindling trend. Officials fear a long-term impact on the economy's growth potential.
Why China's Couples Are Reluctant to Have Children
Reasons like career ambitions, soaring expenses, a desire for freedom from responsibilities, and solitude are leading many Chinese women to choose a life without children. A recent study by a Chinese think tank highlighted that, in terms of GDP per capita, China is among the nations where raising a child is the most expensive - making parenthood an extremely costly responsibility. As a result, many women prefer to be free from parenting duties, often with their spouses' consent.
Moreover, many young women in China are hesitant to be tied down by societal expectations like marriage. Gender inequality and discrimination are prevalent, and working women fear that pausing their careers for marriage and motherhood will set them back professionally. Thus, they choose not to have children.
Additionally, factors such as unemployment, diminishing job opportunities, and low salaries further influence people to either have fewer children or none at all. Based on interviews by The Wall Street Journal with several Chinese women, it is clear that they lack the resources and energy to have more children. Women claim that the government hasn't announced attractive child benefit plans as of yet.
Government Rolls Out Incentive Packages
To increase the birth rate, Chinese government agencies have initiated measures including extended maternity leave, financial and tax benefits, and housing subsidies. Cash incentives and property tax deductions are also being offered to couples willing to have children.
Of note is China's relaxation in 2016 of the 35-year-old 'one-child policy', allowing couples to have two children. In 2021, the Chinese government further extended the childbearing limit to three.
China's Population Decline Trend
Last year marked the first significant drop in China's population in 60 years. Mainland China's population reduced by 850,000 in 2022. To illustrate, in 2022, mainland China saw the birth of approximately 9.056 million newborns, while deaths tallied up to 14.1 million.
At the end of 2022, mainland China's population stood at approximately 1.411 billion, down from 1.412 billion in 2021.
