New research helps explain why China’s low birth rates are stuck
Spillover effects may be to blame
The scars left by China’s population-control policies are clear. Last year, its population started to fall for the first time since 1962; its working-age population has been declining for a decade. A shrinking workforce acts as a drag on growth, and a swelling number of elderly puts pressure on the welfare system.
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This article appeared in the China section of the print edition under the headline “Stuck in the trap”
From the June 3rd 2023 edition
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Hong Kong’s richest man is caught between China and America
Li Ka-shing’s ports on the Panama canal have drawn fire from Donald Trump
The men’s and women’s world snooker champions are now both Chinese
Another victory for a rising sports power
China intensifies its campaign against exiled Hong Kong dissidents
Police in the territory are harassing the families of those who have fled
Xi Jinping glorifies hard work, but the young are not so sure
Cynicism at home is becoming a problem
China’s gig economy could help it survive the trade war
It is vast, and ready to absorb displaced workers
Edible rats are China’s latest live-streaming stars
Cooking them on camera beats standing in a factory all day, and pays much better