Earlier this year, China experienced its first significant population decline in 60 years. The United Nations predicts China's population could shrink by up to 109 million by 2050, which is three times more than forecast in 2019.
With a declining birth rate, China is now on the list of countries at risk of setting off a demographic time bomb, given that its aging population is growing, while its youth population is slowing.
Here are countries with low birth rates, quoted from Euronews.
Taiwan
Taiwan recorded a record low birth rate of 165,249 in 2020. Taiwan's total fertility rate (TFR) is only 1.07 children per woman. This is a big and real change from the 1950's when women had about 7 children.
The main reason for low fertility rates is the very high cost of living, so expenses increase while wages stay the same.
The government has given incentives to citizens to have more children. In Taiwan, nationals receive 2,500 NT per month per birth until the child is five years old. Mothers are also provided with benefits from the labor bureau if they work or through the national pension scheme.
South Korea
South Korea's fertility rate fell to 0.84 in 2020, lower than the previous year's record of 0.92 per year. This is also the third year in a row that South Korea's fertility rate has remained below 1. Expensive education and skyrocketing housing prices, especially in the capital Seoul, have forced many couples to postpone or even cancel plans for having children.
The government has spent more than 224 trillion won to tackle the declining birth rate since 2006, including providing benefits such as subsidized births for married couples and support for medical expenses.
Starting in 2022, the South Korean government will also give two million won for every child born. Families will also receive an incentive of 300,000 won a month until the baby turns 1 year old.
Singapore
One of the impacts of the pandemic is that most couples in Singapore postpone or even fail to have a baby. In 2020, the country's TFR fell to a historic low of 1.1. A survey shows that three out of 10 people are not interested in having a baby. The main reasons are uncertainty over financial stability and security concerns due to the virus.
To overcome this, Singapore announced that it would offer incentives to citizens who wish to have babies during the pandemic. The country is offering a one-time grant of S$2,892 to help a family cover the costs of raising a child.
For children born between 1 October 2020 and 30 September 2022, they will receive an additional 'bonus' of S$7,330.
Hong Kong
Hong Kong's fertility rate is among the lowest in the world with 1.07 births per woman. The pandemic situation has made this number even lower. In the last five years, Hong Kong experienced its biggest annual decline. The number of Hong Kong births fell 18.5% from the previous year in 2022 to 43,100.
Most couples cancel or postpone plans to have children due to concerns about the financial condition and quality of health care and the uncertainty caused by the pandemic. The political unrest in 2019 also exacerbated this condition.
In Hong Kong, parents are entitled to a child's tax allowance of up to HK$120,000, while pre-primary education is mostly free or subsidized.
Puerto Rican
The Caribbean island nation's fertility rate is only 1.23, making it one of the lowest in the world. Birth of about 5 children in the 1950s, now it is less than one child.
Puerto Rico's population has fallen from 3.7 million in 2010 to 3.3 million in 2020. Natural disasters such as 2017's Hurricane Maria, which killed thousands of people and had a huge economic impact and the 2019 earthquake, have led to rapid population declines. very large and decreased fertility.
Large numbers of people have also left Puerto Rico and migrated to the United States and other countries in search of better economic opportunities.
Romania
Although it still retains a traditional attitude towards family and raising children, this European country reached its lowest fertility rate of 1.27 in 2002 and has not increased since then.
The country has less access to childcare centers and services, which, combined with a lack of adequate financial resources due to low wages, high home ownership prices, influence most couples' decisions to have children. Most policies in Romania are also not pro-family.
Spanish
At the start of the 21st century, Spain was at a low birth rate of 1.2 children per woman in 2000. While increasing slightly, the rate remains low at around 1.3 children per woman in 2020.
Since 2017, the number of deaths in Spain has also outpaced the number of births at the fastest rate since deaths began being recorded in 1941.
The lost village of La Estrella in Spain is a sad example of a ticking time bomb on this demographic issue. There are only two people living in the village for the past 45 years.
Japan
The country with the world's highest aging population is facing a looming population crisis. By 2030, it is estimated that one in every three people will be over the age of 65. The pandemic has made matters worse.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida even described this situation as very precarious by saying that his country could collapse and not be able to function as a society because of the declining birth rate.
To overcome this, Japan provides allowances for families with children, depending on their financial status. For families whose income is below the threshold, they get 15,000 yen monthly for children under the age of three, 10,000 yen from the age of three until they graduate from elementary school (for first and second children), and 15,000 yen for third children. etc.
Italy
The average age of Italians is over 45 for the first time in 2020, now 47.3. The fertility rate for Italy was 1.3, a decrease of 0.46% from the previous year.
In 2020, Spain recorded the lowest record with only 464 thousand babies born. The country also recorded the highest death rate since World War II, namely 746,146 deaths in 2020, further widening the gap between the death rate and birth rate.
Spain allocated 222.1 billion Euros in its so-called Corona pandemic recovery package and most of it invested in daycare centers and subsidies for primary schools to encourage couples to have more children.
Greece
In Greece, the TFR rate fell from 2.6 births per woman in 1971 to 1.3 births per woman in 2020. Experts predict that more than 36% of the country's population will be over 65 years old by 2050.
The main reason for this is that many couples decide to postpone parenthood plans. The trigger is the economic conditions that are currently experiencing a recession and an increase in population migration to other places for a more decent life.
To increase its population, Greece rewarded newborns with 2000 Euros. The money is split in half, 1,000 Euro is paid immediately after birth, the rest will be disbursed within six months.