China is facing a population crisis but some women continue to say ‘no’ to having babies

China is facing a population crisis in part due to more women choosing to focus on their careers and personal goals, instead of starting a family.

Already grappling with an aging population and poised to be overtaken by India as the world’s most populous country, China continues to struggle to boost its birth rate.

The Chinese government abolished its one-child policy in 2016 and scrapped childbirth limits in 2021. However, married couples are having fewer children — or choosing to not have any at all, said Mu Zheng, assistant professor at the department of sociology and anthropology at the National University of Singapore. 

“Covid continues to have many negative repercussions and has caused an overall sense of uncertainty towards the future,” Mu told CNBC. “There’s a sense of helplessness that is prohibiting many women from wanting to have children.”

The rising cost of living is also steering more people away from wanting to expand their family, she added.

China’s National Bureau of Statistics reported that the population dipped to 1.412 billion last year from 1.413 billion in 2021. The natural growth rate was negative for the first time since 1960, according to Wind data.

In 2020, female students accounted for almost 42% of doctorate degree enrollment, and a significantly higher number of women enrolled for a master’s degree than men, Statista data showed.

“Men face a tremendous burden as women would demand financial security from them,” and in turn wouldn’t want to get married either, according to Xie who said that “people used to be criticized for being single, but there’s no social stigma against it anymore.” 

Awen, a 31-year-old freelance designer from Shenzhen who would only give her first name, says she’s happy being single right now. All the women who shared their personal experiences for this story were only comfortable sharing their first names.

“Saving money and focusing on my career are my priorities now, I already feel so exhausted after work, I can’t imagine how parents with children feel.”

She said most husbands in China often do not play a pivotal role in a child’s upbringing, and the burden falls entirely on mothers instead.

“Many women don’t want to get married because the housework and babysitting duties will fall on them,” Awen said. “So if women feel that they need to do housework, earn money, and do everything by themselves, why not just be alone?”

But that doesn’t mean her parents are convinced.

“My parents want our bloodline to stay alive, so that means have many children and grandchildren,” Awen said.

According to data from CEIC, 7.64 million couples got married in 2021, a decline from 8.14 million in 2020.

Additionally, women who divorce after having children face social stigma and struggle to balance their career while raising a child alone.

“I don’t think it’s shameful to be a single mother, but I kept it a secret from my colleagues as I don’t want them to look at me differently,” said Shannon, a 36-year-old mother from Shenzhen.

Shannon told CNBC her father said: “It’s better to have gotten divorced than never getting married at all.” 

Although she is happier after the divorce, being a single mother comes with difficulties she never expected, she told CNBC, highlighting that she struggles with not having enough time and freedom to do what she wants.

“I am very happy with my child, but I sometimes regret becoming a mother,” Shannon said. “I’ll never want to have another kid and I don’t want to get married again.” 

China’s southwestern province of Sichuan announced at the start of the year that unmarried residents are able to reap the same benefits of married couples, a move it hopes will increase the country’s birth rate, Reuters reported. 

Such actions could possibly help solve low fertility in China since it is “decoupling the connections between marriage and fertility,” Mu said.