Even as China's leaders have looked for ways to lift sagging birthrates, Beijing thought there was one group who would always want to have many children: rural couples.
They were wrong. Research suggests that rural migrant workers have severe reservations about starting a family. And a big reason appears to be China's household-registration system, which since the 1950s has divided the population into rural or urban and makes it hard for rural workers to take their children with them.
Described as an invisible wall, the hukou system was set up to prevent cities from becoming overrun. It limits migrant workers' ability to put down roots in China's biggest cities by restricting access to local services such as healthcare and education, or the right to buy an apartment.
When China started its economic reforms in the 1980s, most Chinese lived in villages and rural towns. The new economic opportunities sent millions to work in factories or construction sites in cities. Partly because of the residency restrictions, children typically stayed behind in the care of grandparents or other family members.
Many so-called left-behind children have grown up to become migrant workers themselves. And many reject the tough prospect of having children only to live apart from them.
One 27-year-old woman who grew up with her grandparents while her parents hopped from city to city for jobs said she wouldn't rush to get married or have children.
"I deeply understand the low self-esteem and timidity as a left-behind child," said the woman, who asked to be identified only by her family name, Zhao. Her grandparents were illiterate and had to work the land in their village in Guizhou province. With little oversight and care, Zhao and her sister barely managed to finish vocational school.
"I don't want the next generation to be like me," Zhao said.
ãã®èšäºã¯ Mint Mumbai ã® December 25, 2024 çã«æ²èŒãããŠããŸãã
7 æ¥éã® Magzter GOLD ç¡æãã©ã€ã¢ã«ãéå§ããŠãäœåãã®å³éžããããã¬ãã¢ã ã¹ããŒãªãŒã9,000 以äžã®éèªãæ°èã«ã¢ã¯ã»ã¹ããŠãã ããã
ãã§ã«è³Œèªè ã§ã ?  ãµã€ã³ã€ã³
ãã®èšäºã¯ Mint Mumbai ã® December 25, 2024 çã«æ²èŒãããŠããŸãã
7 æ¥éã® Magzter GOLD ç¡æãã©ã€ã¢ã«ãéå§ããŠãäœåãã®å³éžããããã¬ãã¢ã ã¹ããŒãªãŒã9,000 以äžã®éèªãæ°èã«ã¢ã¯ã»ã¹ããŠãã ããã
ãã§ã«è³Œèªè ã§ã? ãµã€ã³ã€ã³
Big banks flee climate coalition formed to cut carbon emissions
U.S. megabanks want to leave behind some green pledges in 2024 finance Morgan Stanley, Citigroup, and Bank of America this week withdrew from an ambitious pandemic-era climate coalition designed to help drive a shift to reduce carbon emissions by businesses.
Training
Is war a debate, a dilemma or a drama? Or can it be a poem? A class contemplates its many meanings
No End
An idyllic summer comes to a close with the dawn of realisation
Ocean of Spines
Trying to conjure a sliver of the past, and remember to whom a story belonged
What we want to read in 2025
The Lounge teamâs list of unread books has only grown longer, while we also revisit and re-read old favourites
Data rules draft: focus on minors, national security
A draft of rules for India's data protection law has proposed that parents must identify themselves before their children can join certain online platforms.
Netbanking 2.0: NPCI pilot to ease mobile payments
You're about to pay for a purchase on a popular e-commerce website from your mobile, but your bank doesn't show up in the netbanking list.
New Angels Rush To Prop Early-Stage Funding Slack
Sports stars, actors and young professionals are taking early bets on new startups
Divided EU allows India to pitch for carbon tax relief
Differences within the European Union (EU) over a looming carbon border tax have given India an opportunity to pitch for some relief from its onerous requirements that are expected to hurt exports to one of the country's largest trading partners.
States' Q4 borrowing to rise 18% after Q2 growth slump
Capex boost likely as West Bengal, Maharashtra, Karnataka lead â¹4.73 tn borrowing plan