Impacts of China's One Child Policy

Impacts of China's One Child Policy

1. Problems

   • Women were forced to have abortions - stage of pregnancy was irrelavant
     • Breach of human rights?
     • Considered to be cruel by some
     • Peoples' choices were controlled by the government
   • Women were persuaded to only have 1 child by family members, workmates and the 'Granny Police' (older women in the village)
     • Pressurised
   • Local officials had power over peoples' private lives
     • Breach of privacy
     • Controlling

2. Benefits

   • Increased technology and exploitation of resources has improved peoples' standard of living
     • Higher life expectancy
   • New industries have developed
     • More sources of income
       • More money
   • Decreased birth rate
     • An estimated 400 million fewer people have been born
       • Decreased rate of population growth

3. Economic Impacts

   • Ageing population
     • More benefits required e.g retirement
       • More costs to the government
   • Smaller working age population (16-64)
     • Less tax paid
       • Less money available to the government

4. Social Impacts

   • Infanticide - girls aborted
     • Led to a gender imbalance of 41 million more men
       • Men struggle to find women to marry
   • Ageing population
   • 'Little Emperors'
     • Only children spoilt by the attention from family members
   • Some family units may die out
     • Surnames lost