Which families were allowed exceptions to China’s one-child policy?

While the one-child policy was intended to be applied universally to limit most families to a single child, the Chinese government implemented several specific exceptions over the course of the program.1

Families allowed to have more than one child included:

• Ethnic minorities: Parents belonging to certain ethnic minority groups were granted exemptions.1
• Families with children with disabilities: Couples whose firstborn child was handicapped were permitted to have additional children.1
• Rural residents: In some regions, rural families were allowed to have two or even three children, reflecting a more lenient enforcement approach in the countryside compared to urban areas.1
• Specific parental circumstances: Parents whose firstborn was a girl, or couples where both parents were themselves only children, were permitted to have a second child.1

These modifications were part of sporadic efforts to adjust the policy, which was ultimately replaced in 2016 when all families were allowed to have two children, followed by an expansion to three children in 2021.1