18-Jan-18, Reuters
Births in mainland China fell by 3.5 percent to 17.23 million in 2017. The fall in the number of births in 2017 came despite a 2016 move to relax China's one-child policy, and allow all couples to have a second child. The loosening of the restrictions came amid concerns about the country’s rapidly ageing population.
%20Reuters_Stringer.jpg "China births drop 3 5 percent in 2017 (c) Reuters Stringer")
Image: Reuters / Stringer
China’s family planning commission said that the drop was down to the smaller number of women of fertile age and the growing number of people delaying marriage and pregnancy, partly due to concerns about the cost of educating their children.