Why are young people's fertility intentions getting lower and lower?
According to the data of the seventh national census, the total fertility rate of women of childbearing age in China in 2020 is 1.3, which is at a low fertility level. In 2020, the birth population in China is120,000, which is less than that in 2065.438+09180,000. Zhe, director of the National Bureau of Statistics, said that the low birth rate will become a real problem facing China.
So why don't young people want to have children? Experts believe that this is a complex social problem, and the influencing factors include economic pressure, work pressure, conflict between fertility and personal development, and changes in social concepts.
1 economic pressure
Economic pressure is an important factor affecting young people's fertility will. Especially in big cities, rising housing prices, prices and education costs have made many young people worry that they cannot bear the financial responsibility of raising children. A survey shows that all families with children outside Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and other big cities have a heavy "life account book": children spend about 5,000 yuan on early education classes and daily food, clothing, housing and transportation; A father who works in the northwest county said that he spends at least 1000 yuan on his children every month, while his monthly salary is only 3,000 yuan. Ms. Li, a teacher in a rural primary school in Huaihua, Hunan Province, said that children under 3 years old spend at least one-third of their salary every month.
In addition, many young people have to face high mortgage and car loans. In first-tier cities such as Beijing and Shanghai, house prices have exceeded the affordability of ordinary families. According to statistics, in May of 20021year, the average price of new commercial housing in Beijing was 68,000 yuan/square meter, and that in Shanghai was 59,000 yuan/square meter. Even second-hand houses are not cheap. In the self-report of the second generation (indigenous) of an only child in Beijing, "buying this house feels' deadly', how dare you have a second child?"
2. Work pressure
Work stress is also an important factor affecting young people's fertility willingness. Competition and uncertainty in the job market also put them under pressure, fearing that they could not provide a stable and safe living environment for their children. At the same time, in some industries and enterprises, there are unfriendly or even discriminatory phenomena towards female employees. Some female employees were demoted or dismissed during pregnancy or maternity leave; Some female employees find themselves marginalized or missed promotion opportunities after returning to the workplace; Some female employees were asked personal questions such as marriage and family planning during the interview.
In addition, in modern society, many young people pay attention to career development, and they pursue personal and professional success, so they may postpone or give up family planning. They pursue freedom and personal space, enjoy travel, hobbies and social life, and may worry that childbirth will limit their lifestyle.
3. The conflict between fertility and personal development
For women, there is often a conflict between fertility and personal development. On the one hand, in the traditional concept, women assume more family responsibilities and the obligation to take care of children; On the other hand, in modern society, women also have more needs for self-realization and social participation. This has caused many women to fall into a dilemma when facing the choice of childbirth: if they choose to have children, they may sacrifice their careers or other opportunities; If you choose not to give birth or give birth later, you may face pressure from family or society.
"202 1 Investigation Report on Working Mothers' Living Conditions" shows that working mothers are facing the challenge of "triple roles": professional role, mother role and wife role. Among them, "workplace role" is the most difficult role for them to balance and the most easy to give up. According to the report, nearly 40% of all working mothers interviewed said that they were fired or demoted because of pregnancy or maternity leave; Nearly 50% said they missed the promotion opportunity because of pregnancy or maternity leave; Nearly 60% said they had been discriminated against or excluded by colleagues because of pregnancy or maternity leave.
4. Changes in social concepts
Social concept is also an important factor affecting young people's fertility will. With the continuous improvement of education and social status, women have more knowledge and opinions on their rights and interests. They no longer regard getting married and having children as the inevitable or only choice, but make decisions according to their own preferences and judgments. At the same time, in contemporary China society, "independence" has become a common phenomenon, which is accepted and even respected by people: independent thinking, independent action, independent consumption ... and independence also means less bondage and interference from others or traditional concepts. Therefore, many young people choose not to get married and have children in order to pursue their own personality and value.
How to improve young people's fertility will?
To improve young people's fertility will, we can't rely on a single policy or measure, but need comprehensive measures from various aspects to create favorable conditions and environment for fertility. According to the results of online search, I summarized the following possible measures:
1. Optimize the birth policy
Optimizing birth policy is the basis and premise of improving young people's fertility will. At present, China has implemented the three-child policy and liberalized the birth restriction, but this alone is not enough. It is necessary to further improve relevant laws and regulations, protect reproductive rights and interests, eliminate reproductive discrimination and punishment, and enhance the inclusiveness and adaptability of reproductive policies. Specifically, the following aspects can be considered:
-Reform and repeal the Population and Family Planning Law and other relevant laws and regulations, and clearly stipulate that reproductive rights are the basic rights of citizens, free from any restrictions and interference.
-cancel all forms of birth registration, examination and approval, filing and other procedures, and simplify the process of handling birth-related certificates and materials.
-Cancel all forms of penalties such as fines and social support payments for children with extra children, and cancel restrictions on education, medical care and household registration of children with extra children.
-Cancel all kinds of rewards such as the one-child certificate and the honor certificate of the one-child parents to avoid being unfair to families with many children.
-Establish and improve the long-term payment mechanism of step-by-step maternity allowance for families with many children, and give different degrees of subsidies according to the family income level and the number of children.
-Establish and improve a preferential policy system for families with many children, including giving priority protection or reducing fees in housing, education, medical care, employment and social security.
2. Reduce the family burden
Reducing family burden is the key and core to improve young people's fertility will. Nowadays, many young people are afraid or unwilling to have children because they are afraid that they cannot bear the financial responsibility of raising children. Therefore, it is necessary to reduce the cost of childbirth, child-rearing and education, and reduce the burden on families through tax incentives, public service supply and social security. Specifically, the following aspects can be considered:
-Formulating and implementing the rules of special additional deduction or exemption for personal income tax according to the number of children, and giving different tax preferences according to the number of children.
-Formulating and implementing the policy of refunding mortgage interest for families with many children, and giving priority to affordable rental housing, affordable housing and other housing security policies for eligible families with many children.
-giving priority to ensuring that children of families with many children attend the same school in the same park, implementing the policy of waiving or reducing tuition fees in preschool education, compulsory education and high school, and implementing the policy of higher education grants or student loans.
-Accelerate the construction of an inclusive child care service system for 0-3 years old, set up child care institutions or provide child care facilities in communities, employers and commercial office buildings, and give financial subsidies or price subsidies.
-Vigorously develop the socialized old-age service system, set up old-age care institutions or provide old-age care facilities in communities, and give financial subsidies or price subsidies.
-Improve the multi-level social security system and raise the level of protection for families with many children in basic medical insurance, basic old-age insurance and unemployment insurance.
3. Balance work and family
Balancing work and family is an important and necessary condition to improve young people's fertility willingness. At present, many young people postpone or give up family planning because they are worried that they will not be able to strike a balance between work and family. Therefore, it is necessary to help young people balance work and family from the perspectives of protecting women's employment rights, supporting men's participation in housework sharing and providing flexible work modes. Specifically, the following aspects can be considered:
-Strengthen the legal regulation of discrimination against women in employment, prohibit discrimination or harassment against women in recruitment, employment, training and promotion, and establish an effective complaint and punishment mechanism.
-safeguarding women's labor rights and interests, implementing equal pay for equal work for men and women in wages, welfare benefits and social insurance, and giving special protection during pregnancy and maternity leave.
-Increase maternity leave time for women and paternity leave time for men, pay full or partial wages during maternity leave, and arrange reasonable jobs and responsibilities after maternity leave.
-support women to return to the workplace after giving birth, provide vocational training, skills upgrading, psychological counseling and other assistance, and provide flexible work arrangements within a certain period of time.
-Provide flexible working methods, implement flexible working system, telecommuting system and temporary vacation system within appropriate scope, and encourage employers and enterprises to provide childcare services or subsidies for employees.
Create a good atmosphere
Creating a good atmosphere is a powerful support and effective promotion to improve young people's fertility will. Nowadays, many young people hold a negative attitude towards marriage and childbearing because of the influence of public opinion or cultural values. Therefore, we should create a good atmosphere to encourage marriage and childbearing from the perspectives of strengthening cultural guidance and social propaganda, advocating respect for diversity and tolerance of differences, and shaping positive images and role models. Specifically, it can be considered as:
First, we should strengthen cultural guidance and social propaganda, widely advocate the concepts of population, marriage, fertility and family that are compatible with encouraging young people's fertility orientation, spread positive energy and positive information through various media and platforms, and enhance young people's confidence and yearning for marriage and fertility.
The second is to advocate respect for diversity and tolerance of differences, eliminate prejudice and discrimination against different fertility conditions and choices, avoid excessive exaggeration or negative evaluation of groups such as singles, unmarried, infertile or prolific, and respect everyone's independent choice and personality development.
The third is to create a positive image and role model effect, commend and publicize the outstanding deeds and touching stories of families with many children in various ways, show the happy life and bright future of families with many children, and stimulate young people's recognition and yearning for families with many children.
Third, the conclusion
In a word, it is a complex and urgent task to improve young people's fertility will, and comprehensive measures need to be taken from various aspects to create favorable conditions and environment for fertility. Only in this way can we effectively cope with the challenges of population aging and declining birthrate, promote long-term balanced population development, and provide strong population support for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.