From the LA Times: “After 25 years of the one-child policy, the nation risks producing too few children. But many parents have decided one is enough. ”
This raises a new problem in China’s population structure. “In Shanghai, 2.6 million seniors make up about 16% of the city’s population, which far outstrips the worldwide average of 7%. Their swelling ranks are straining the city’s pension and social service systems. At the end of last year, there were only about 450 senior nursing facilities in Shanghai, with enough beds for just 37,000 people. Although a higher birthrate won’t solve this problem, more young people entering the labor force would generate taxes to help pay for health and social services. ”
