Unmarried people legally allowed to have children; China announces more relaxations

BEIJING: China has announced more relaxations in the event of a massive decline in the birth rate in the country. The nation has given legal rights to unmarried people to have children.

The southwestern province of Sichaun was the first to offer more concessions. Once the law comes into effect, umarried people will have the right to raise a child. Unmarried individuals get the same benefits as married couples. China's new move comes as its population declined for the first time in six decades.

In China, as per 2019 law, only married couples had the legal right to have children. Maternity insurance for hospital expenses and paid maternity leave for women were also granted. These benefits were available only to married women. Now unmarried people who want to have children will also get these benefits.

The Chinese government had implemented a one-child policy in the 1980s to control the country's population growth, but in 2021 the government relaxed this rule. Further relaxations are granted when there is no significant improvement in the population despite the removal of strict restrictions. Studies indicate that by 2040, a large percentage of the Chinese population will be over 60 years of age. The law was amended in 2021 which raised the child limit to three. Studies also suggest that the decline in youth population will have economic and social consequences.