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China, which imposed a strict one-child policy on the majority of its citizens for 35 years to curb rampant population growth, is now witnessing the ill-effects of the policy as birth rates have declined at an alarming rate.

China population: With a population of over 1.4 billion, China is the second-most populous country in the world after India, but a major portion of the country’s population is growing old and is not being replaced by newer members due to rapidly falling birth rates that have hit alarming levels in the recent decades.

Concessions for young couples

According to media reports, in order to mitigate the crisis, the Chinese government is now enticing its young citizens to get married and have children, by offering them various concessions, including increasing the marriage leave from 3 days to a month in many provinces.

In Sichuan, China’s most populous province, the marriage leave has been increased to 20 days, and couples who undergo a state-funded fertility test before marriage, get and extra five days of leave. So essentially young newly-weds in Sichuan can enjoy a fully-paid 25-day marriage leave, as per reports.

Sichuan residents have been asked to express their opinion about the proposal till the end of June.

Similarly, in Shandong province, often called the land of Confucius, the marriage leave has been extended to 18 days from the previous 3 days, while in many provinces like Shanxi and Gansu, the leave has been extended up to 30 days. Currently, the Chinese federal government has maintained the 3-day marriage leave provision for employees, which has been in place since 1980.

China’s declining marriages and falling birth rates

China, which imposed a strict one-child policy on the majority of its citizens for 35 years to curb rampant population growth, is now witnessing the ill-effects of the policy as birth rates have declined at an alarming rate over the past few years.

Additionally, fewer people in China are getting married which is directly affecting the birth rate as there are lesser births. As per data, around 1.81 million couples registered their marriage in the first quarter of 2025, a decline of 8 percent from last year. The figures had slightly improved in 2023, but fell again due to multiple reasons, and now marriage rates are at the lowest in the country since 1980.

According to experts, young Chinese do not prefer to get married unless they are planning for a child. In addition, other goals like education and career, along with the perception of losing personal freedom, have further weakened the institution of traditional marriage in China.

How Chinese government is responding to the crisis?

Apart from enticing youngsters with concession like extended marriage leaves and other benefits, China is making efforts to make marriage registration process easier. Now, marriages can be registered in any city without the need for a Hukou (household registration).

However, many fear that many concessions, including extended maternity and paternity leaves, would only remain on paper due to the economic demands and other factors. But the Chinese government has also talked about incentivizing companies to help realise these concessions.