The housing problem has long been the focus of social attention, housing prices remain high, and the difficulty of buying a house has become a common problem for young people.
In order to alleviate this pressure, the state has introduced a series of policiesIncluding purchase restrictions, loan restrictions, land adjustments, etc.
However, the problem of the property market is accompanied by profound changes in China's demographic structureThe problem of aging is becoming increasingly prominent, and the decline in fertility has become the focus of social concern.
In order to cope with the demographic challenge, the state is also formulating a series of fertility policies to encourage young couples to have children and maintain the healthy development of the population.
In fact, it is not new for young people to be reluctant to get married and have children, and the state has also taken great pains to encourage childbearing, but the results received do not seem to be ideal.
In the face of the current situation, should the country "protect the property market" or "protect the children"?
In recent years, China's fertility rate has been hovering at a low level, and the number of births has also dropped significantly.
According to statistics, China's birth rate in 2022 is only 677, which has been at a low level for many years.
At the same time, the Chinese population experienced negative growth for the first time in 2022, a decrease of 850,000 from 2021.
The aging of the population and the continuous decline in the number of working-age population have put tremendous pressure on China's economic and social development.
In 2021, the proportion of China's elderly population aged 65 and above reached 142%, which is close to the international standard line for an aging society.
In comparison, the proportion of the working-age population is only 609 per cent, below the 65 per cent threshold set by the United Nations.
These data show that China's fertility rate and birth rate have reached alarming levels.
Raising the fertility rate and optimizing the population structure requires the joint attention and efforts of the whole society.
The roots of the decline in fertility desire can be traced back to multiple aspects, with a profound impact on young people's fertility intentions.
First of all, the pressure of huge housing purchases is one of the important reasons for the decrease in young people's willingness to marry and have children.
In second- and third-tier cities, a house of 2 million to 3 million yuan is almost equivalent to emptying all the savings of ordinary families.
After buying a house, you also need to carry a heavy mortgage pressure, which makes young people prohibitive.
The huge pressure to buy a house is not only the first step to getting married, but also directly affects the decision to have children, so that many young couples choose to postpone childbearing or abandon their family plans.
The high cost of childbirth and education is also one of the reasons why young people are reluctant to have children.
In addition to daily expenses such as milk powder, diapers, toys, etc., the cost of medical treatment, early education and various training expenses after the birth of the child has become a heavy financial burden for the family.
After giving birth, it is assumed that the child should be taken by the mother.
Mothers have to give up their jobs to focus on taking care of their babies at home, which further exacerbates the financial pressure on families and affects young couples' reproductive decisions.
Finally, gender discrimination in the workplace also affects women's fertility intentions to a certain extent.
Some companies ask about the marital status and maternity status of job applicants before the interview, raising concerns about married women who have children and that they will not be able to devote themselves to their work.
This discrimination leads to unfair treatment in the workplace and affects women's development in the workplace, thereby reducing their willingness to have children.
Therefore, the root causes of the decrease in fertility intention involve the financial pressure of buying a house, the high cost of childbirth and education, and gender discrimination in the workplace.
Today's young people have a lot of pressure in life! In addition to work, I also have to worry about buying a house.
Last year, two friends, Xiao Zhang and Xiao Li, got married, and they both chose the suburbs away from the city center.
Because the listing price of second-hand houses close to the urban area is too high, a 100-square-meter ordinary house costs more than 1 million, which is simply unaffordable for ordinary office workers.
Although the house price has been in ** for 21 consecutive months,But for young people, it is still ridiculously high, and tens of millions of residences abound in first-tier cities in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou.
Young people born in the 90s will be burdened with heavy mortgage pressure as soon as they leave society, and most of their monthly wages will be paid back to the bank, and the remaining money will only be enough to maintain their basic life.
In such a tight economic situation, how can there be the willingness and ability to have children?
I think when my parents were working, they had a lot of money.
Not only can I send money to my parents, but I can also buy a used car and play with my friends on the weekends.
Now that I think about it, young people can't enjoy such days.
Today's migrant workers have worked the same or even more, but they are unable to make a decent living.
High housing prices not only make many young people postpone or even give up their marriage plans, but even if they have already bought a house, it is difficult to bear the subsequent expenses such as parenting and education, so many families can only choose not to have children or only have one child.
You see, young people are now full of house slaves, with heavy mortgages, and they have lost faith in marriage and childbearing.
This is undoubtedly a huge hidden danger for economic and social development.
If the fertility rate continues to be sluggish, labor shortages will worsen, and the entire society will enter a cycle of aging.
Therefore, high housing prices not only affect the career development and living environment of young people, but also press the "pause button" for childbirth.
To solve these problems, we need the joint efforts of all sectors of society to provide better housing policies and reduce the financial burden on families.
At the same time, we should establish a fair working environment and create better conditions for young couples to have children.
Under the dual pressure of coping with the downturn in the property market and the decline in the fertility rate, the state has introduced a series of countermeasures.
In the short term,By adjusting the down payment ratio, relaxing loan conditions, and providing housing purchase subsidies, people with housing needs are encouraged to enter the market as soon as possibleto maintain short-term stability in the real estate market.
After all, the real estate industry still plays a pivotal role in driving the overall economic development, and it is important to prevent the housing market from going up and down.
At the same time, the state is also targeting high housing prices, a key factor affecting young people's willingness to have children.
In August 2023, the new regulations clearly stated that the supply target of 6 million affordable housing units should be achieved in the next five years.
This is undoubtedly a landmark move of the new round of national housing security policy.
On the one hand, increasing the supply of affordable housing on a large scale will effectively balance the supply and demand structure of market housing and meet the rigid needs of some groups.
On the other hand, the cost of these affordable housing will be much lower than that of the surrounding commercial housing, which will greatly reduce the pressure and cost of young people to buy a house in the long run.
With housing at a reasonable price, young people have the foundation to live in peace and have the material conditions to give birth to and raise the next generation.
As long as the income is sufficient to support the basic life, they can confidently realize their plans for marriage and childbearing.
As a result, the new round of housing security policies has not only improved the living conditions of low-income groups, but also provided them with a material basis to enhance their confidence in childbirth.
When young people have the material security of marriage and childbearing, the country's fertility rate will naturally increase gradually.
Although the state has recently introduced some policies in terms of child protection, on the surface, these measures such as lowering interest rates and providing subsidies for housing purchasesThe substantial impact on alleviating the huge pressure of buying a home and the cost of raising a child seems to be limited.
It's like I want to buy a 5 million Porsche, and I was given a 500 yuan voucher, but what I lack is the 500 yuan, what I lack is 5 million.
Offering just a few discounts is not really going to solve the root of the problem.
In view of the current environment of great downward pressure on the domestic economy, stabilizing the real estate market and preventing the property market from fluctuating are the key considerations of policymakers.
After all, housing is an important pillar industry, and if there are violent fluctuations, it will have a serious impact on the entire national economy.
Therefore, from this level, it is necessary to introduce some rescue measures.
Looking more deeply, behind the child protection policy is the foundation for maintaining the entire economic and social development.
Without population, where is the consumption power and labor force? Who is the house sold to? Who does the work? The declining fertility rate is destined to lead the country into a dead end of an aging populationBut more importantly, we must fully respect the rights and choices of women themselves.
The womb grows on the woman, and the decision to give birth lies with them, not sacrificed for the sake of the so-called big picture.
Moreover, it is the mother who gives birth to the child, and if you want to protect the child, you must first consider the mother, that is, the living environment and happiness of the woman.
If men and women were equal in this world, men and women would be paid equally for equal work.
Female childbirth will not lead to physical injury or even death, will not cause women to lose employment opportunities because of pregnancy and childbirth, will not have gender discrimination, and will not abduct women and children because of childbirth and interests.
The child will not grow up in a pedophilic environment, the learning environment is good, and there is no need to lottery to go to school.
In an ideal world, who wouldn't want their children to be born safely and grow up healthy and happy?
On the issue of protecting the property market and children, the house can only be said to be one of the factors, because the school district affects the children's schooling.
But that's just one of them, and the real key factor isn't in the house.
The sense of happiness, security, and wealth in people's lives is the basis of childbirth.
Solving the fertility problem requires a comprehensive consideration, rather than pointing the finger at housing prices.
At present, real estate regulation is only one of the means, and it can even be said that it is only a "symptomatic treatment".
In order to fundamentally promote the rebound of the fertility rate, it is necessary to let the people have a higher sense of quality of life and gain, so that everyone can enjoy a promising space for development, and let life naturally be full of hope.
Let each person and family be free to choose whether or not to have children, rather than being forced by external pressures.
None of us want to see a dark world like The Handmaid's Tale become a reality.
Childbirth is a problem all over the world, and we can learn from countries where women and children live in good conditions to improve the situation.