China’s ‘fertility crisis’ and the women rejecting motherhood

“Among people striving to make a living in large cities, most of my friends resist having a second child,” she said.

“The current societal/work environment is unfriendly towards pregnant women and mothers of young children. It is hard for me now to find a job because of my age plus several years of work gap.”

By tackling rising housing prices, investing in education and human capital to boost productivity and using technology to help the elderly, the government could ease the demographic blow of falling birth rates, said Prof Cheung.

“On the other hand, the fertility rate is not going to bounce back…