China may end one-child norm | WPN World People News

China is looking into abolishing its one-child policy over the next five years, the Global Times reported Tuesday.

Experts have been studying propositions of allowing couples to have a second child, said Wang Yuqing, a deputy director of the National Committee of Population, Resources and Environment.

Wang said the high cost of raising a child will keep the population growth at a stable level, Guangzhou-based New Express Daily reported.

The policy, adopted in the late 1970s, limited most couples to having only one child. However, couples who are both the only children of their families, parents whose first child has a congenital disease, and parents in rural areas whose first child is a female are currently allowed to have a second child.

Zhang Li, another deputy director of the committee, said amendments will be made to the population policies to 'bring down the population without worsening the aging population situation'.

A demographic expert with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences told the Global Times Monday that family planning policies do not equate to a one-child policy.

The expert said relaxing the policy will not encourage couples to have more children because of high living costs.

China, which has a population of over 1.3 billion, is facing a huge challenge brought about by the one-child norm. Figures from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed that 8.5 percent of the population in 2009 is made up of people aged 65 and above. By 2030, that figure will climb to 17.5 percent.

Source: IANS