Child care cost contracting China’s population, says leading research agency

The cost of raising a child in China is high compared to other countries, leading to a decline in the country’s population, say new research findings from YuWa Population Research Institute.

Women face challenges balancing work and family due to high childcare costs and gender discrimination, the report went on.

It also highlights a significant reduction in women’s working hours and wages when caring for children. Finding suggests that urgent policy changes are recommended to reduce the cost of childbearing, increase birth rates, and prevent a rapid decline in China’s population and innovation.

The current fertility rate in China is one of the lowest globally, emphasizing the need for immediate action.

China is one of the world’s most expensive places to raise a child, relative to its GDP per capita, a prominent Chinese think tank said on Wednesday as it detailed the time and opportunity costs for women who opt to have children in the country.

Compared to other developed economies, cost of raising a child until they are 18 relative to per capita GDP is around 6.3 times in China.

This contrasts sharply with 2.08 times in Australia, 2.24 times in France, 4.11 times in the U.S. and 4.26 times in Japan, said YuWA based in Beijing.

Raising children also leads to a reduction in women’s paid work hours and wage rates, while men’s livelihoods remain largely unchanged.

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