China is facing a population crisis in part due to more women choosing to focus on their careers and personal goals, instead of starting a family.
Already grappling with an aging population and poised to be overtaken by India as the world’s most populous country, China continues to struggle to boost its birth rate.
The Chinese government abolished its one-child policy in 2016 and scrapped childbirth limits in 2021. However, married couples are having fewer children — or choosing to not have any at all, said Mu Zheng, assistant professor at the department of sociology and anthropology at the National University of Singapore.
“Covid continues to have many negative repercussions and has caused an overall sense of uncertainty towards the future,” Mu told CNBC. “There’s a sense of helplessness that is prohibiting many women from wanting to have children.”