Baby burden should be fixed before baby boom

Illustration: Xia Qing/GT

It has been reported that new births in Wenzhou, East China's Zhejiang Province, fell by 19 percent in 2020. This is rare for a city whose fertility rate has been higher than most other Chinese cities. A Chinese economist recently suggested that China gradually adjust its population policy to allow couples to have three children. After the country introduced its two-child policy, China has not ushered in a baby boom. Can introducing a third-child policy show evident effects? The answers from many Chinese will likely be negative. The sky-high property prices especially in Tier 1 cities, such as Beijing and Shanghai, frustrate many Chinese to get married. Furthermore, Chinese young people tend to live stressful lives. Some of them follow the 996 work schedule, which means they have to work from 9 am to 9 pm, 6 days per week. The high cost of raising children in China is another factor that deters young parents from wanting to have more kids. To boost the birth rate, it's time to ease the burden on Chinese young's shoulders.