China relaxes two-child policy, allows couples to have three

Kids play at a kindergarten in Yantai in China’s eastern Shandong province on Monday. Pic/AFP

China's ruling Communist Party on Monday announced a relaxation of its strict two-child policy to allow all couples to have up to three children, in a major policy change after recent data showed a steep decline in birth rates in the world's most populous country.

China permitted all couples to have two children in 2016, scrapping the draconian decades-old one-child policy which policymakers blame for the demographic crisis in the country. Chinese officials claim the one-child policy implemented for over three decades has prevented over 400 million births.

The decision to permit the third child came after this month's once-in-a-decade census showed that China's population grew at the slowest pace to 1.412 billion amid official projections that the decline may begin as early as next year.

The new census figures revealed that the demographic crisis China faced was expected to deepen as the population above 60 years grew to 264 million, up by 18.7 per cent last year.

"China will support couples that wish to have a third child," state-run Xinhua news agency reported, quoting a decision made at the Political Bureau of CPC, presided over by President Xi.

2016
Year China had permitted couples to have two kids

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