Why modern Chinese women don’t want children – BBC News

“I can’t raise a child,” Gloria, a 30-year-old married woman, told the BBC.

He calculated the cost of raising a child in China. And found that it was about $2,400 a month (about 81,600 baht), not including other expenses that she had to use monthly.

He broke down the expenses as follows: “Daily expenses such as 3,000 yuan for food, 2,000 yuan for kindergarten, 1,000 yuan for childcare if necessary, and at least 10,000 yuan for future education.”

Gloria works as a part-time elementary school teacher. in Guangdong province of southern china

The average monthly income of a private sector worker in this part of China is around 6,000 yuan (about 29,700 baht).

The fact that Gloria was the only child in the family Due to the Chinese government’s one child policy, she had to focus on her mortgage. and save money for caring for parents in their old age

China is facing a shrinking population for the first time in 60 years, and the latest data shows that most Chinese women want just one child. or without children

According to the China Population and Development Research Center, the rate of childless women will increase from 6 percent in 2015 to 10 percent in 2020.

It was also found that Chinese women of childbearing age have reduced fertility desires. The average number of children wanted was 1.64 in 2021 from 1.76 in 2017.

Other Asian countries such as Singapore, Japan and South Korea also have lower birth rates. But most said they wanted two children, contrary to the Chinese.

Dr. Shuang Chen, Assistant Professor of International Social and Public Policy from the London School of Economics and Political Science, notes, “China is different in this case. Because not only is the birth rate low. But the desire to have children is also low.”

In “The two sessions” between members of the National People’s Congress (NPC) and members of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), the most important political meeting of the year, held on 4 March ago. Political advisers have proposed plans to boost the population, such as encouraging unmarried women to freeze their eggs. Including the exemption of tuition fees and textbooks for children from nursery to college.

Another proposal is to give children of unmarried parents the same rights as children from families whose parents are legally married.

In China, children born to unmarried parents face difficulties in getting their names on the household register. It is also called “Hu Kou”, which is important to use in school. receiving public health services Including various social welfare and registering the names of these children is quite expensive.

The high cost of having children is the main reason why most Chinese women choose not to have children.

China has been a highly competitive society since the birth of the world. Chinese parents often try to find a good school for their children by moving to an area with a well-known school. and send their children to special education

Mia, a 22-year-old graduate, told the BBC: “I don’t want to give birth to a new life in this highly competitive environment.”

Mia was born in a small town in northern China. and spent most of his life devoting himself to education He took the university entrance exam. It is also known as “scratching the knee” with fierce competition having been successful. and graduated from a leading university in Beijing

But she was always stressed.

Mia explains that after graduating She also has to compete with those whose families have the means to send her to study abroad. This made her think that she would not be able to earn enough money to send her children to this type of education.

“If I can’t support my child to have this kind of opportunity So why should I bring a new life into this world?”

All the women interviewed for the BBC said the negative effects of working motherhood was another reason they chose not to have children

they said In job interviews, they are often asked if they intend to have children in the next few years. If they answer positively, their chances of getting a job or promotion decrease.

Dr. Yun Zhou, an assistant professor of sociology at the University of Michigan in the United States, explains, “Work-life balance is an important factor in deciding whether or not to have children for many educated Chinese women.”

“Working for these women is self-awareness…in a highly sexist job market. This makes it difficult to choose between work and having children,” he said.

Mia, like many other young people, presents her life through social media. After she posted a video explaining why she didn’t want to have children. Surprised to receive a lot of negative feedback.

Many viewers accused her of being selfish. Others say she doesn’t know herself well at 22, and will regret the decision when she’s four.

Some went so far as to accuse her of “Foreign Influences” which discourage people from having children

In May 2021, the Chinese government implemented a three-child policy after 2020, Chinese women gave birth to only 12 million babies, the lowest birth rate since 1961.

Therefore, many people consider women who choose not to have children as a disappointment to the nation.

But there is an opinion on this matter “It is my personal choice. I’m not promoting the idea of ​​not having children. I respect people who want to have children.”

Another person who struggles with such stereotypes is Yuan Xueping, a 34-year-old woman from rural China who believes “there’s nothing wrong with that.” Women are responsible for giving birth to sons in order to continue the family line.

Yuan and his sister did not come to university. Even though she is one of the 3 best students in the school. because her parents had to send her younger brother to study at a higher level

“My parents always said, ‘Why do girls go to university? because sooner or later They must marry. and stay at home raising children anyway,” said Yuan.

when her aunt divorced her husband and had to bear the burden of raising two children on her own, the more she felt like she didn’t want to have more children.

“I don’t believe in marriage anymore,” said Yuan, who has now left her hometown to live in the city. and the happiness of living a life without bonds

“I read a book and spent free time with friends, I feel free.”

Additional reporting by Lara Owen.