Liang Jianzhang spent an average of 680,000 yuan on raising a baby to graduate from undergraduate, which aroused social attention and heated discussions
Liang Jianzhang's report sparked heated discussions: how does the cost of childbirth affect the family and society with an average cost of 680,000 yuan from raising a baby to graduating from undergraduate?
Recently, led by Professor Liang Jianzhang, a well-known economist, the "2024 Edition of China's Fertility Cost Report" released by Yuwa Population has attracted widespread attention and heated discussions from all walks of life. According to the report, the average cost of raising a child from the age of 0 to graduating from college is as high as 680,000 yuan. This figure not only tugs at the heartstrings of many people who are about to become or have already become parents, but also provokes in-depth thinking about the cost of childbirth, the burden on families, and the demographic structure.
1. The burden of fertility costs: the dual pressure of family and society.
Raising children, from croaking to graduating from college, every link in the process is full of family expectations and dedication. Food, clothing, and housing are the most basic expenses, and investment in education, health care, etc., is increasing day by day. Especially in the current environment of increasingly fierce competition in education, parents not only have to bear basic expenses such as tuition fees and books, but also pay for their children's extracurricular tutoring, interest classes, study tours and other diversified expenses. These expenses not only increase the financial pressure on the family, but also affect the family's willingness to have children to a certain extent.
The regional disparities revealed in the report are even more thought-provoking. In first-tier cities, high prices and housing prices make the cost of raising children generally higher than in second- and third-tier cities. This has also led to many young people having to put economic factors into consideration when facing fertility problems. Such regional differences in the cost of raising children have undoubtedly brought new challenges to the country's demographic structure and regional development.
2. Fertility costs and population structure: an issue that cannot be ignored.
The rising cost of parenting not only affects families' willingness to have children, but also has a profound impact on the country's demographics. With the development of the economy and the progress of society, people's conception of fertility is also changing. Many families are beginning to pay more attention to their children's education and growth, and are willing to invest more resources and energy in their children. However, the high cost of raising children has also inhibited people's willingness to have children to a certain extent, leading to a decline in the birth rate.
This trend poses challenges to the country's demographic structure and socio-economic development. On the one hand, the decline in the birth rate will lead to the aggravation of the aging of the population, which will put pressure on social security and medical services. On the other hand, demographic imbalances can also adversely affect the country's economic development. Therefore, how to balance the relationship between fertility cost and population structure has become an urgent problem to be solved.
3. Policy and social response: reduce the burden on families.
In the face of rising parenting costs and demographic changes, ** and all sectors of society are also actively seeking solutions. On the one hand, it is possible to encourage childbearing through the formulation of relevant policies, such as providing tax incentives and increasing public education resources; On the other hand, society can also alleviate the fertility pressure of families by advocating a childbirth-friendly social environment.
In addition, we can also start from many aspects, such as improving the quality of education, optimizing the allocation of educational resources, and strengthening medical and health services, so as to provide better support and assistance to families. These measures can not only reduce the cost of raising families, but also help to increase people's willingness to have children, thereby promoting the healthy development of the population structure.
4. Conclusions and prospects: jointly build a childbirth-friendly social environment.
Raising children is an important responsibility and obligation of a family, and it is also an important cornerstone of social development. In the face of rising parenting costs and demographic changes, we need to work together to build a child-friendly social environment from multiple levels. Societies, families, and individuals all need to play a role in this process, working together to create better conditions for the growth and development of the next generation.
Looking ahead, we look forward to introducing more policies and measures conducive to childbirth to provide more public services and support to the society. At the same time, we also look forward to the joint efforts of all sectors of society to create a more inclusive, friendly and harmonious childbirth environment. Only in this way will we be able to achieve the healthy development of the population structure and contribute to the prosperity and progress of society.
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