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China Being Listed Among Countries with a Low Birth Rate
An investigation study has lately been completed by experts from six higher educational institutions including Zhejiang University and Wuhan University along with the Population Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences throughout China.
The study shows that China has by its population reproductivity changed from a transitional pattern of high birth, low death and high growth rates to one with a low birth, low death and low growth rate. This should be attributed to the policy of "family planning" since the late 1970s.
As is known from the investigation study, "family planning" over the last twenty years has virtually led to cut family size and a general improvement of economic conditions in families. The average size of Chinese families was reduced to 3.36 persons from 4.54 persons in 1980; families with a size of 4 persons or less came to take 76.7% from 53.7% in 1982. It is estimated that in the past two decades a baby boon of about 250 million has been averted as a result of "family planning" in China. Of 350 million Chinese families, every family has been reduced to a size of 0.74 baby less and this is to say at least RMB$14,000 yuan per family has been saved when a baby's upbringing cost of RMB$19,000 yuan from birth to 16 years old is counted.
Also as proved by practice in the past 20 years, introduction of the policy of "family planning" has not only helped in a general improvement of the health of women and children but also a raise of women's social status. Compared with those rejecting the policy of "family planning", families embracing the policy generally enjoy by their children 13-year-old or so a 6% more junior middle school education opportunity, and the time used by women on house chores becomes as much as 18% less.
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