China's population is aging rapidly, and its birth rate is declining. These trends have resulted in a shrinking workforce and growing pressure on social services. In response, Beijing has rolled out a series of pronatalist policies.
A new RAND study finds that these efforts have been unevenly implemented and largely ineffective. This shows the limits of government attempts to influence family decisionmaking.
These findings have implications for the United States, where fertility rates are also declining. Rather than trying to increase the population's desire to have children, it may be more effective to help those who already want to grow their families. Such an approach might include removing structural barriers by improving access to affordable child care and housing.
As the authors write, “The United States should learn from China’s failed pronatalist policy.”
