Dear MEL Topic Readers,
China could soon have more pets than toddlers. Why that’s a headache
for Beijing
China’s one-child policy was a national program that limited most
Chinese families to one child each, which was implemented in 1980 and ended in
2016. The aftershock of the one-child policy and cultural changes in the younger
generation have been decreasing the birthrate continuously. In 2023, China
recorded just nine million births, a decline of over 50% just in eight years. Its
total fertility rate is around 1.0, far below the 2.1 benchmark to maintain the
population. In the meanwhile, young Chinese people are increasingly opting to
have fur babies (pets like dogs and cats) instead of their own. They find it
too expensive to raise human children under an uncertain economic outlook. High
property prices and education costs in major cities are nearly prohibitive to
form a family. Also, raising children requires constant care and attention,
which often limits parents' freedom and career opportunities. Though the estimated
percentage of dog-keeping households in China is still under 6%, far below one
of Japan’s 17.5%, pet-related businesses, including dog food, pet hotels, and
dog salons are seeing a brighter future outlook. But that makes it even more
difficult for the country to increase the fertility rate and maintain the
population. Will there be pet restrictions in major cities?
Read the article and learn about the increasing pet ownership in China.
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