China and its population policy: now it's going pro-natalist

China, for over four decades, renowned for its aggressive one-child policy to prevent over-rapid population growth, eased up on its anti-natalist programme in 2016 by allowing two children per family. Now, in the face of popular reluctance to have siblings for their single child, the policy - in some regions - is actively going pro-natalist in encouraging larger families.

China, like many other rapidly industrialising countries, is discovering that government policy towards ideal family sizes has less of an influence on parents than the cost of housing, schooling and - most significantly - employment prospects and education levels of potential mothers. While the state bore down on parents having more than one child since 1980, there is now a growing realisation that the demographic structure of the population is ageing, becoming more economically dependent, and with social and economic consequences that are seen as problematic. The two-child policy has been in place for a few years, but many parents (and mothers, especially) are reluctant to have more than one child. This article in the Guardian explains why, and what some regions are starting to do to promote larger families.