China's demographic crisis could ease with male childcare subsidies, new research suggests
Subsidising men's participation in household chores and childcare could help reverse declining global birth rates, according to a new study, offering a fresh approach to deepening demographic challenges in
countries like China.
The study, co-authored by researchers from Fudan University and the University of Hong Kong (HKU), argued that subsidies for fathers produce significantly higher long-term fertility gains than solely subsidising mothers.
The findings came as the world's second-largest economy faces a rapidly ageing population, shrinking workforce and strained social welfare system – before reaching high-income status.
The researchers said the drastic decline in fertility rates was especially urgent in countries 'getting old before getting rich', as low fertility threatens economic stability and the ability to catch up to developed nations.
The innovative policy proposal, published last month in a journal run by a joint institute between HKU and The Hong Kong Jockey Club, came as Chinese authorities have struggled to boost birth rates in recent years.
The interest in having children has continued to decline in most areas, pushing China's overall fertility rate to an estimated 1.1 children per woman – well below the 2.1 level needed for a population to sustain itself, at the same level, from one generation to the next.
The study, which analysed data from 23 countries, also found that traditional expectations that place the burden on women to perform most childcare duties persist in China and other East Asian countries, clashing with rapid economic changes.
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