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China has announced that it will allow each couple to have up to three children, marking the end of a strict two-child policy.
The change was approved by President Xi Jinping in a politburo meeting, state media outlet Xinhua said.
It comes after a census published every 10 years showed that China’s population grew at its slowest pace in decades.
This added pressure on Beijing to boost measures for couples to have more babies and avert a population decline.
Shrinking populations are problematic due to the inverted age structure, with more old people than young.
When that happens, there won’t be enough workers in the future to support the elderly, and there may be an increased demand for health and social care.
It comes after a once-in-a-decade census showed that China’s population grew at its slowest pace in decades. GETTY IMAGES
How are people reacting?
“Allowing a couple to have three children as well as the implementation of relevant support measures, will help to improve the country’s population structure, actively respond to the aging population, and preserve the country’s human resource advantages,” Xinhua said in a report on the meeting.
But on social media, Chinese people seemed less than excited about the new measures.
“[We can have] three kids, but the problem is I don’t even want to have one,” said one social media user.
*Courtesy*
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