PUBLISHED DECISION GUIDE
Official National Health Guide: Third-Child Policy Introduced
Understanding China's new third-child policy and its supportive measures.
China has officially introduced the third-child policy through a law amendment effective August 20, 2021, aimed at addressing the challenges of an aging population and declining fertility rates. This guide outlines the policy change and the wide-ranging supportive measures that have received legal backing.
Independently written English guidance based on cited public sources. Every public guide is human reviewed; it is not an official translation of the source publisher.
What is the third-child policy?
The third-child policy allows couples in China to have three children, an increase from the previous two-child limit. This change was formally legalized through an amendment to the Population and Family Planning Law, passed by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress on August 20, 2021, and effective immediately.
Supportive measures to encourage births
The revised law includes wide-ranging supportive measures to encourage births, such as lowering education costs, boosting nursery care services, and protecting women's workplace rights.
Why the policy change?
The policy shift addresses the challenges of a graying population and declining fertility rates. According to the latest national census, the proportion of those aged 60 and above rose to 18.7 percent in 2020, while the fertility rate dropped to 1.3 children per woman in the same year.
Public sources
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This guide received human editorial review. Use its public sources and review date to assess the current information boundary.
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