In recent years, with the development and transformation of society, some worrying phenomena have emerged in rural areas. Among them, the issue of fertility in rural areas has attracted widespread attention. The seriousness of this problem even exceeds the difficulty of marriage in rural areas, and involves the future of every rural family and even the entire country. This paper will delve into the fertility problem in rural areas, analyze its causes and consequences, and put forward corresponding countermeasures and suggestions.
Status: According to the National Bureau of Statistics, fertility rates in rural areas are already well below replacement levels. This means that the rural population is aging and shrinking at an accelerated rate. At the same time, due to the lack of educational and medical resources in rural areas, as well as the lack of employment opportunities in rural areas, many rural young people choose to go out to work or migrate to cities, resulting in the outflow of rural population.
Causes: The main reasons for the occurrence of the rural fertility problem are as follows: First, the impact of the family planning policy. Although the policy of "one-child and two-child liberalization" is implemented in rural areas, due to the inconsistent implementation and the concept of preference for sons over women in some places, the ratio of men and women in rural areas is unbalanced, and the willingness of rural women to have children has declined. The second is the impact of economic development. With the improvement of living standards in rural areas, the rising cost of marriage and parenting in rural areas, as well as the shortage of educational and medical resources in rural areas, have led to the increase of fertility pressure and fertility willingness of rural youth. The third is the impact of cultural change. Many rural youth, influenced by urban culture, have begun to pursue personal freedom and happiness rather than conform to the expectations of family and society. They pay more attention to their education and career, and pay more attention to their love and marriage, rather than blindly having children.
Population Aging and Shrinkage:
Since the birth rate in rural areas is lower than the death rate, the rural population will show a negative growth trend. At the same time, because the fertility level in rural areas is lower than the replacement level, the population structure in rural areas will show a situation in which the proportion of elderly people is too high, the proportion of young adults is too low, and the proportion of children is too small. This will lead to insufficient supply of labor in rural areas, increased pressure on social security in rural areas, weakening of rural economic vitality, and disruption of rural cultural inheritance.
Economic development and social stability:
Due to the aging and shrinking of the rural population, the economic development of the rural areas will face severe challenges. On the one hand, the shortage of labor in rural areas will affect agricultural production in rural areas and the development of non-agricultural industries in rural areas. On the other hand, the consumption demand in rural areas will decline, investment opportunities in rural areas will decrease, and the market potential of rural areas will decrease. At the same time, social stability in rural areas will also be threatened. On the one hand, the difficulties in marriage and childbirth in rural areas will lead to gender imbalance and family breakdown in rural areas, and the moral atmosphere and social order in rural areas will be undermined. On the other hand, the problem of the elderly and left-behind children in rural areas will lead to the lack of spiritual civilization and social care in rural areas, and the mental health and social harmony in rural areas will be affected.
Demographic structure and population quality of the country:
Since the rural population accounts for nearly 40% of the country's total population, the rural fertility rate is a problem. It will have a direct impact on the demographic structure and population quality of the country. On the one hand, the aging and shrinking of the rural population will exacerbate the problem of the country's population aging and population decline, and bring tremendous pressure to the country's economic development and social security. On the other hand, the quality and potential of the rural population will be reduced, which will bring obstacles to the country's scientific and technological innovation and cultural prosperity. Therefore, the issue of fertility in rural areas is not only a problem in rural areas, but also a national problem, which requires great attention and attention.
First, we need to invest more. We should raise the level of educational and medical resources in rural areas, improve the employment environment and economic conditions in rural areas, and make more young people willing to stay in rural areas for development.
Second, we need to strengthen publicity and education, change the traditional concept of preference for sons, and improve women's social status and willingness to have children. At the same time, we also need to improve the social security system and improve the living standards and welfare benefits of the elderly, so that the elderly can enjoy their old age in peace.
Finally, we also need to strengthen policy guidance, encourage young people to have children, and give corresponding policy support and economic subsidies, so that young people have no worries about the future.
To sum up, we can see that the problem of fertility in rural areas has become a serious problem in the current society. It is not only related to the future and destiny of every family, but also to the future development of the entire country. Therefore, we need to attach great importance to this issue and solve it through various measures, so that every family can live a happy and fulfilling life and the whole country can prosper.