The number of births in China tumbled 10% last year to hit their lowest level on record, a drop that comes despite a slew of government efforts to support parents and amid increasing alarm that the country has become demographically imbalanced.

China had just 9.56 million births in 2022, according to a report published by the National Health Commission. It was the lowest figure since records began in 1949.

The high costs of child care and education, growing unemployment and job insecurity as well as gender discrimination have all helped to deter many young couples from having more than one child or even having children at all.

      • GBU_28@lemm.ee
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        1 year ago

        The generation of the future that will live in a less populated world, and perhaps enjoy the lack of density, may be a few generations away

        • wahming@monyet.cc
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          1 year ago

          It’s weird how some people seem to romanticise the idea of society collapsing, or shrug off the potential consequences, when it might be as damaging as any world war.

          The generation of the future? Dude, there might not BE any future generations if society collapses the wrong way.

          • David_Eight@lemmy.world
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            1 year ago

            Can you expand on why society would collapse? Like what are the specific problems that would lead to collapse?

            • wahming@monyet.cc
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              1 year ago

              I’m not claiming that it will, just that it’s a possibility. As to the how, simple societal unrest caused by economic collapse. If not properly handled, it could be the trigger on a chain reaction.

          • GBU_28@lemm.ee
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            1 year ago

            I’m not romanticizing anything, I never said it would be gumdrops and lollipops.

            There would absolutely be problems with a top heavy society, as you mentioned.

            My point was that it would be a generation sometime after that one, that can even possibly hope to enjoy a less burdened world.

            Or we can fizzle out, it doesn’t fucking matter.