One-Child Policy Britannica Online

The One-Child Policy

A long time ago, China decided that families should only have one child. This rule was made to stop there from being too many people in the country. But in 2016, the rule was changed, and now families can have two children.

Why the One-Child Rule Started

Back in 1949, China started suggesting families use birth control, but not everyone listened. By the late 1970s, there were almost one billion people in China! So, the leaders, especially a man named Deng Xiaoping, thought it was important to have fewer babies. At first, they said having two kids was okay, but soon they said just one kid was better. They really pushed this rule in 1980.

How the Rule Worked

The rule was for everyone, but some families, like those with special needs kids or certain minority groups, could have more than one child. It was easier to follow the rule in cities than in the countryside where bigger families were common. The government tried different ways to make sure people followed the rule, like giving rewards to those who did and making birth control easy to get.

What Happened Because of the Rule

The number of babies born in China went down, which is what the leaders wanted. But, it also caused some problems. More boys were born than girls because families often wanted their one child to be a boy. This meant there were not enough girls for everyone who wanted to get married when they grew up. Also, there were more older people and not enough young people to take care of them. Some families had more kids but didn't tell the government, which made things hard for those kids.

Ending the Rule

In 2015, the government said families could start having two kids. This was because they saw problems like not having enough young people working. In 2021, they said families could have three kids and promised to help families more, so they would feel okay having more children.