As China’s population continues to shrink, government officials are reaching out to women across the country, inquiring if they are pregnant and encouraging them to have children. This unexpected shift in policy is reported by the South China Morning Post and marks a significant change from previous decades of strict birth control measures.
Jane Huang, a 35-year-old mother from Fujian province, received such a call earlier this month. She found the nature of the call amusing, given its unusual subject matter. Huang recounted the conversation, stating, “[Hello!] Is that Ms. Huang? Sorry to disturb you. I am from your sub-district office; are you pregnant now?”
Huang reflected on the surveyor’s approach, suggesting that the caller belonged to an older generation unaware of contemporary values around privacy and personal choice.
The issue has gained attention on social media as well. A viral post on Xiaohongshu described a similar experience, with another user sharing, “I got a call from a grassroots worker this morning asking if I was pregnant.”
China Faces Population Crisis
China is currently grappling with a demographic crisis, having been surpassed by India as the most populous nation. In 2023, the country recorded only nine million births, the lowest number since 1949, according to government statistics. With 11.1 million deaths reported, this results in a population decline of 2.08 million, following a drop of 850,000 in 2022.
One major factor contributing to this decline is the fertility rate, which fell to 1.09% in 2022. Additionally, a Pew Research report predicts that by 2035, one-third of China’s population, or around 400 million people, will be over the age of 60. As a country that prides itself on being the “world’s factory,” China relies on a young workforce to sustain its manufacturing sector, which could face challenges as the population continues to decline.
In response to these demographic challenges, China officially ended its one-child policy in 2020, which previously imposed heavy fines on families that had more than one child.
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