Although China has a large population, the problem of imbalance in the population structure is becoming increasingly prominent. The recently opened "three-child" policy aims to increase the birth rate, but the latest data shows that China's birth rate is still declining, and the situation is not optimistic.
Experts warn that if the "three mountains" problem is not resolved, China's total population may be surpassed by the United States in 2056. So what exactly do these "three mountains" mean?
1.Children's education is high, and parents are under pressure
In the past, parents expected their children to grow up healthy and happy, but today's parents have fundamentally changed their mindset and expect their children not only to grow up healthy, but also to be versatile and excel.
These additional requirements add a huge amount of pressure to the growth of modern children. The expectations of parents and the influence of the surrounding environment make modern students not only prepare for competition, but also need to consider multiple challenges such as further education and employment.
Now, many graduate students are facing employment challenges. With the increasingly fierce competition, the internal competition is even more fierce, and every parent wants their child to excel.
This perception increases the pressure on children and the cost of education. Previously, schooling was enough to guarantee a smooth progression, but now, students have to go through extra tuition to keep up with the curriculum. Some parents send their children to various higher education institutions in order to stand out from the competition.
Nowadays, elementary school students have a heavy amount of homework and will fall behind if they do not attend remedial classes. In order for their children to win, parents have to accept this phenomenon. Because raising children is too hard, some families can't afford it financially and choose not to have children.
2.High medical costs become a fertility disorder?
Recent data shows that the natural population growth rate of China will be negative for the first time in 2022, highlighting the seriousness of the population problem.
The cost of medical treatment remains high, and ordinary people can hardly afford the cost of serious illness treatment, and even all their savings may be exhausted at a time. Under such circumstances, it is difficult for young people to have children.
Many families are only children and need to take care of four elderly people at the same time, and the elderly are prone to illness. This makes it difficult for young people to take care of the elderly while also thinking about the next generation.
Despite the expansion of health insurance coverage and the increase in reimbursement rates, there are still residual costs that are difficult to afford. Taking cancer** as an example, even if there is a partial reimbursement, the remaining expenses are hundreds of thousands, which is difficult for ordinary people to bear.
Raising the fertility rate seems unlikely until the cost of health care is reduced to a level that is acceptable to the general population.
3.High housing prices restrict childbirth
High housing prices have long plagued young people in China, especially in first-tier cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen. Many young families are not only depleting their savings in order to buy a home, but also saddled with long-term mortgages. Monthly loan payments account for the majority of income, making it difficult to take on the financial burden of more children.
* A series of measures have been taken, including adhering to the concept of "housing for living, not speculation", implementing property market regulation policies, and promoting affordable housing projects such as affordable rental housing and co-ownership housing, so as to reduce the housing cost of young people. At the same time, major state-owned banks have also begun to reduce mortgage interest rates to gradually reduce the cost of buying a house. The implementation of these measures is expected to reduce the housing pressure of young people and help increase the fertility rate.
Finally
These "obstacles" seem to be pressing on the minds of young people, and it is hoped that the state can provide more support and subsidies in areas such as education and medical care, and formulate more reasonable policies to reduce the pressure. Of course, it also requires individual efforts to improve their own quality and create a more prosperous and happy future together. Social