The Lonely Sequel of China’s One-Child Policy

China’s famous one-child policy, which prevents couples in China from having more than one child, is beginning to be phased out, having been in place since the 1980s. Now, couples that are made up of at least one partner who is an only child will be allowed to have a second child. However, scholars say that this change is “too little, too late”—the one-child policy has created a dramatic imbalance in the age structure of the Chinese population, and these effects will be felt for decades to come.

The proportion of the Chinese population that is over 60 years old is expected to more than double, from approximately 15 percent in 2015 to 31 percent by 2040. This demographic shift has left the country unprepared to support its growing number of senior citizens. In “Losing an Only Child: The One-Child Policy and Elderly Care in China,” Yu Song studies the situation of families—referred to as shidu families—who have lost their only child and whose biggest concern is finding support for when they can no longer care for themselves.

Parents whose only child dies or becomes incapacitated often have no one else to whom they can turn in old age. They are tasked with financing their own healthcare, and even their own burials, once they reach old age. Besides these economic challenges, the parents are also neglected and rejected from their communities. Since children are responsible for sponsoring their parents through retirement in a nursing home, shidu parents have great difficulty gaining admission. These shidu, who usually do not have other relatives to take care of them, will most likely be left alone during their old age.

The author explains that, initially, the Chinese government had hoped that the one-child policy would facilitate enough economic growth and social welfare to sustain the increasing elderly population. However, the growth of elderly care facilities and professional caregivers has not kept pace with the increase in the elderly population. Over the past 15 years, the Chinese government has tried to mitigate this problem by introducing policies for the elderly. However, the financial aid provided by the government has not been enough to cover the expenses of elderly care, and it oftentimes involves strict criteria that leave out a large portion of the elderly population.

The author advises that the only way to successfully solve China’s elderly care issues is to provide an integral support system to help shidu families economically and psychologically. The author stresses the importance of developing policies that reduce discrimination, since the social stigma endured by the shidu families affects both their economic situations and emotional well being. The study also refers to the differences between urban and rural settings that policies in China have had to address in the past few years. Rural households receive less support from the government than those in urban areas, primarily because life in the city is more expensive. However, since half of the population in China resides in rural areas, policymakers should pay special attention to shidu parents who live outside of cities and have fewer elderly care services available to them.

The probability of being left without any children has drastically increased since the Chinese government launched its one-child policy almost 30 years ago. Today, the serious aging problem in China necessitates that policymakers develop policies that provide comprehensive elderly care. It is imperative that China increase the number of professionally trained caregivers and facilities available to the elderly. The author also suggests that the government act as a sponsor for those who wish to enter a community elderly care program or senior care home. Although the aging of the population may be a particularly pressing issue in Chinese society today, many other countries are experiencing similar problems with their aging populations and could benefit from any successful policies developed by the Chinese government.

Article Source: Song, Yu. “Losing an Only Child: The One-Child Policy and Elderly Care in China.” Reproductive Health Matters 22(43), 2014.

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