CHINA POPULATION

Not two worrisome

China’s new two-child policy is to have a relatively small effect on population growth, with a likely peak of 1.45 billion in 2029, compared to 1.4 billion in 2023 had the one-child policy continued, according to academics writing in The Lancet . By 2050, the population is predicted to hit 1.42 billion under the two-child policy, compared to 1.27 billion under the one-child policy. The authors say the two-child policy could lead to a reduction in the number of abortions of unapproved pregnancies, elimination of the problem of unregistered children, and a more balanced sex ratio, but warn that the effect on the shrinking workforce and rapid population aging may not be felt for two decades.

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