How did decades of one-child messaging influence family-size preferences in China?

Decades of government messaging and strict enforcement of the one-child policy profoundly influenced family-size preferences in China by successfully ingraining the viewpoint that having only one child was the preferable norm.1

This cultural shift persisted even after the policy was rescinded in 2016. When the government subsequently allowed families to have two, and later three children, birth rates did not see a sustained increase. Couples remained hesitant to expand their families due to several factors, including the high cost of raising children, limited access to childcare, and concerns regarding the impact of additional children on their careers.12

It is important to acknowledge that the implementation of this policy involved severe ethical violations, including forced sterilizations and abortions, which caused immense suffering for millions of parents. The long-term demographic result of this state-mandated social engineering is a rapidly aging population and a shrinking workforce, creating an ongoing economic and social crisis that the government is now attempting to address through new, supportive policy measures.312