Chinese Cities Issue Work-Life Balance Order to Save Falling Birth Rate [Video]

What’s New

Shanghai has introduced policies encouraging employers to create “childbirth-friendly” positions aimed at supporting people with young children amid mounting concerns over China’s declining birth rate.

Why It Matters

Despite extensive measures by central and local governments, including the relaxation of the decades-long one-child policy to allow two and later three children, China’s fertility rate last year dipped to 1.0 births per woman—far below the replacement rate of 2.1.

Rising living costs in major cities, intense workplace demands and shifting attitudes among younger generations are frequently cited as factors behind the decline. The trend, combined with a rapidly aging population, has raised concerns about the long-term resilience of the world’s second-largest economy.

What To Know

A joint notice …