Why Chinese Parents Don't Want A Second Child
9- 7.10.2026, 16:58
- 4,800
One of the main reasons is the high cost of motherhood.
Chinese authorities are trying to encourage the population to have more children, but most families are not ready to have even a second child. The reasons are not only financial but also stem from the enormous burden placed on parents, especially women, writes Foreign Policy (translation by Charter97.org).
After the “one-child policy” was repealed in 2015, the authorities allowed families to have two children, and in 2021—three. However, the expected rise in the birth rate never materialized. The average Chinese family now has only one child.
One of the main reasons is the high cost of motherhood. Women risk their careers after giving birth, and employers often prefer to hire men or women who already have children. Formally, maternity leave protections exist, but in practice, far from everyone is able to take advantage of them.
Serious problems also arise in hospitals. Parents face corruption, and women are often practically excluded from decisions regarding childbirth. The cesarean section rate in China reached 44.5% in 2020.
After childbirth, the pressure only increases. Young families are often forced to live with their parents or in-laws, and women must observe the tradition of postpartum seclusion for months.
“Pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum recovery” in and of themselves become a reason to stop at one child,” the publication writes.
Even surrogacy, which is officially banned in China, thrives on the black market. “Chinese couples are willing to do anything for a child,” the article states. But most families do not want to go through this process a second time.
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