Source: BBC
Birth rates in China rose to their highest level since 2000 last year, despite a fall in the number of women of childbearing age, say officials.
The increase follows the relaxation of China’s strict one-child policy a year ago.
There were 17.86 million births in 2016, an 7.9% increase on 2015, according to National Health and Family Planning Commission (NHFPC) statistics.
More than 45% of the babies born in 2016 had one or more older siblings.
“While the total number of women of childbearing age fell by five million, the number of births increased significantly, showing that the family planning policy adjustments were extremely timely and extremely effective,” said the NHFPC’s Yang Wenzhuang.
Categories: Asia, China, Population, The Muslim Times