Despite Changes to One-Child Policy, Chinese Parents Say Having Two Kids is Too Expensive

Photo Credit: Stringer Shanghai / ReutersDespite China announcing changes to its strict one-child policy, many young parents say they will not choose to have a second child due to the high cost of living in modern-day China.

“Giving birth to a second child is not difficult, but we do not have the energy anymore,” said Wang Tao, a 35-year-old native of Beijing, who is married and has a 5-year-old daughter.

“We lack a safe social net to support a family with two children,” Wang added. “China doesn’t provide a pension or free education,” he said while ticking off a list of things that make having a larger family a financial burden.

After more than 30 years of the strict policy aimed at controlling population growth, the new policy will allow couples to have two children if one of them is an only child.

But Wang is not alone in his views, according to a survey conducted by the Communist Party controlled “People’s Daily” newspaper.

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