Population Issues in China Changes, Policies and Successes

Changes in Population China's first modern census in 1953 revealed a population of 583,000,000 This has now more than doubled to 1,252,800,000 people in 1999, the difference between these being more than the total population of Europe The population increases by million people per year

A Graph….

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Population Control Since 1949, there has been awareness that control measures were needed to stem the growth of the population What emerged was the one child policy which has been successful in controlling numbers but controversial in its implication

Population Control This one child policy has led to a number of negative implications for the country Infanticide and abandonment have increased as people get fined if they have more than one child Also, boys are preferred by Chinese people as they take responsibility for the parents in their old age so girls are often abandoned so the parents can try again and have a male child.

One child Policy In rural areas the policy is not as strict as families require more children for farm work The policy has led to an increased awareness by the Chinese people of the need for population planning and there is now a general willingness to have fewer children

Rates Both the crude birth rate and death rates have decreased significantly since 1949 Birth Rate16.57 per thousand Death Rate 6.51 per thousand Natural Increase Rate10.06 per thousand Total Number of Births 20,380,000 per year (Stats as of 1997)

Population Characteristics and Distribution 29% of the population are under 14 compared with 20% in the USA people are over 60 compared with in the USA China has 20% of all people over 60 China has the largest urban population in the world even though most Chinese live in rural areas Increased life expectancy: 1998: Men - 68 Women – 71 compared to Men 42 and Women 39 in 1950

Problems with a large Population As the population in China has doubled in the past 50 years, the agriculture, energy supplies, education and housing have come under increasing stress Chronic air and water pollution are evident in both rural and urban areas Currently, domestic production can produce 420million tons of grain where 450million is required so the deficit will have to be made up by imports

Malthus Malthus proposed the theory that the world had a natural way of keeping control of the population This idea can be seen in China In 1961, a tragic famine led to as many as deaths Many are suffering from respiratory difficulties thanks to the toxic smog that builds up in city areas These different events show how an increasing population pose problems to a country but also how the number of people can be controlled by natural events as Malthus proposed.

Questions What was China’s one child policy and why was it implemented? What changes have taken place in the Population of China since 1950? What types of issues will their be for the Chinese government if the population continues to grow? Which theory do you think applies more to China at the present time?