One-child policy
Topic: World Population: Distribution, Density, Growth and Migration · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
The one-child policy was China's rule, starting in 1980, that limited most couples to one child. It cut births sharply. It also had serious side effects. Many families preferred sons, so the sex ratio became skewed. The population also aged faster, because there were fewer young people to replace the old.
Example
China, in East Asia, moved to a two-child policy in 2016 and a three-child policy in 2021. Its population has been shrinking since 2022, and it now uses pronatalist steps to encourage births.
Don't confuse with
- Family planning: Family planning is based on voluntary choice. China's one-child policy was a strict state limit on family size.
Related concepts
- Family planning
- Population control measures
- International Conference on Population and Development
- Pronatalist policy