The demographic structure of our country is undergoing earth-shaking changes! It's like a giant hourglass, where there is less and less sand on top and more and more sand underneath.
No, the latest data shows that in 2023, the proportion of the population aged 0-14 in the mainland will drop to 16.4%, while the proportion of the population over 65 years old will rise to 15.4%. What's going on? Why are young people reluctant to have babies?
Let's start by looking at the "population ledger" over the years. From 1990 to 2023, in the past 33 years, the population structure of the mainland can be described as "vicissitudes"!
In 1990, there were 316.59 million dolls aged 0-14, accounting for 27.7% of the total population. But in 2023, that number dropped to 230.63 million, or 16.4% of the total population. Now, even the "comprehensive two-child" and "comprehensive three-child" policies can't save this decline!
On the other hand, the elderly population over 65 years old has soared from 63.68 million in 1990 to 216.76 million in 2023, and the proportion has risen from 5.6% to 15.4%. What is this concept? That is, 15 out of every 100 people you see on the street today are over 65 years old!
This demographic change, in technical terms, is "declining birthrate" and "aging". The declining birthrate means that there are fewer and fewer dolls, and the aging population means that there are more and more elderly people. According to international standards, the mainland has entered an aging society since 2000, and in 2021, it entered a moderately aging society.
So why are young people reluctant to have babies? The reasons for this are complex:
First of all, raising a baby is too expensive! Today's young people are shouting "can't afford it". From milk powder diapers to kindergarten tuition, to various extracurricular classes, raising a baby is simply more expensive than raising a giant panda!
Secondly, if you are as busy as a dog at work, how can you have time to take care of your children? Many young people don't even have time to wash their own hair and take care of their children? Dream on!
Moreover, today's young people are pursuing "poetry and distance", getting married and having children? Inexistent! Someone said: "No baby is light, why bother to find yourself an alarm clock that does not close for 24 hours?" "
Moreover, social welfare is not enough. The current policy is still a bit far from the expectations of young people, as if it is 108,000 miles away.
This demographic change is no joke. A declining birthrate means a smaller workforce in the future, and an aging population means more spending on social welfare. It's like a huge "scissors gap" that is slowly cutting our future.
Interestingly, this change has not been the same in different regions. For example, in Heilongjiang Province, the proportion of the population aged 0-14 has been frighteningly low, and it has entered a society with a severe low birthrate. This reminds people of the saying in the Northeast: "Close the door and let the tiger go", and now I am afraid that even the tiger will not be released!
So, what should we do in the face of this situation?
Otherwise, give more policies, preferably real benefits. For example, send more milk powder money, give a three-year paid maternity leave, or just send a baby!
Or, enterprises can engage in a "day of bringing a baby to work", and the community can build a "24-hour unattended nursery"?!
Of course, each of us has to turn our brains around. Having a baby is not only to find guilt for yourself, but also to contribute to the country! Besides, how interesting it is to raise a baby, and it can be a toy and a warm baby, and it can also give you a pension and send you to the end, it is simply a winner in life!
"Ten years of trees, 100 years of people."
The seeds we sow now will determine what China will look like in the future. Let's work together to contribute to China's future!