One-Child Policy Britannica Online

The one-child policy was a rule in China that started in the late 1970s. The government wanted families to only have one child. They did this because there were so many people in China, and they wanted to slow down how fast the population was growing. In 2016, the government stopped this policy.

How did the one-child policy start?

After Mao Zedong passed away in 1976, China's leaders, including Deng Xiaoping, noticed that the population was getting really big, almost one billion people! They first suggested families have no more than two kids, but soon they said it would be best if families just had one child. By 1980, this one-child rule was used all over China. Some families, like those from certain ethnic groups or if the first child had special needs, could have more than one child. The rule was followed more strictly in cities than in the countryside.

What did the government do?

The government tried many ways to make sure families followed this rule. They gave out birth control, and there were benefits for families that followed the rule. But, if a family didn't follow the rule, there could be penalties. Sometimes, the government's methods were very harsh.

What happened because of this policy?

The number of babies being born went down, which was what the government wanted. But, it also caused some problems. More boys were born than girls because some people preferred to have boys. This meant later on, there weren't enough women for men to marry. There were also more older people, and not enough young people to take care of them. Some families had more than one child but didn't tell the government, which caused problems for those children, like not being able to go to school easily.

Ending the policy:

In 2015, the government said families could now have two kids. This was because they noticed problems like not enough young people and too many older people. But, even with this change, not many families wanted to have more kids because it's expensive and hard to find childcare. In 2021, the government said families could have three kids and promised to help with things like childcare and jobs to encourage them to have more kids.