China is now working towards balanced population growth by introducing a revised family planning policy.
China’s National Health and Family Planning Commission says 29 of the 31 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions of the Chinese mainland have relaxed the birth policy, and the policy adjustment is in part a response to public sentiment. China announced an easing of the policy in November at a major meeting of the Communist Party of China. It allows couples to have a second child if either side comes from a one-child family.
Under the one-child policy introduced in the 1970s, many couples opted for sex-selective abortions in favor of boys. In 2010, the gender gap was 118 male births to 100 female births. Officials say the easing comes as the country is coping with a declining labor force and an ageing population.
"China’s population structure has undergone changes since the beginning of the 21st Century. On the one hand, the fertility rate has maintained at a stably low level. On the other hand, many problems have emerged as the population structure changes: The working age population declines, the number of the elderly increases, gender disparity of newborns widens, and the development of families is affected," Yang Wenzhuang with Health & Family Planning Commission said.