Moving on from one: how can China manage its declining fertility?

Assisted reproduction technologies could play a role in increasing China’s fertility levels.

Earlier this year, we released Moving on from One: How can China manage its declining fertility? The report examined declining fertility rates in China and assessed how reproductive technology could increase China’s fertility levels. Could Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART’s) bring China’s fertility back to replacement rate?
In the late 1960’s China’s birth-rate began to fall rapidly and fell below population replacement levels in 1992. Today, the average birth rate is 1.7 children per couple. Whilst family sizes are shrinking, China’s ageing population is growing in size and old age dependency is only set to rise.

There are many reasons for this fall in fertility, such as China’s history of a one child policy, followed by the current two child policy. In the report we link declining fertility rates a number of socio-economic factors. Gender inequality in child rearing and familial duties continues to be a problem in China. Whilst Chinese women and girls now have greater access to higher education which leads to delayed marriage. The increased direct and indirect costs associated with raising children is also a factor as to why many Chinese families are choosing to have fewer children.

Moving on from One assesses the impact of reproductive technologies on China’s birth rates. Could ART’s be the answer? We assessed the impact that improving access to, and reducing the cost of, ART’s could have on China’s birth rate problem.