On Monday, the Chinese government issued a statement on an official website detailing its intention to tackle the declining population rates in the communist nation.
In an effort to legislate "a society more conducive to raising children," China's State Council proposed several measures aimed at reversing the current demographic trends in the world's second-largest country, where deaths surpassed births in 2022 and 2023.
Among the initiatives offered were plans to increase funding for childcare facilities, maternity insurance, parental leave, pediatric services, and reproductive technology, as well as reducing marriage barriers to foster “a birth-friendly social atmosphere.”
The report indicated that nearly 300 million citizens in China are over 60 years old, a figure expected to rise to 400 million within the next decade.
Beijing's efforts come in response to state media reports estimating that the national birthrate was 1.09 in 2022, a number below normal replacement levels.
Related Story: Beijing to Ease Regulations on Marriage Licenses and Make Divorce More Difficult as Nation’s Population Falls
