In a controversial move to tackle its deepening demographic crisis, China is reportedly making condoms more expensive. The aim, as per a recent analysis, is to discourage their use and encourage people to have more children. This strategy highlights the government's growing desperation to reverse a declining birth rate that threatens long-term economic stability.
The Price Shift and Its Intended Goal
According to a report by the Hong Kong-based newspaper South China Morning Post, citing an analysis from Hua Chuang Securities, Chinese authorities are subtly engineering a price increase for contraceptives, specifically condoms. The report, published on May 19, 2024, suggests this is a deliberate policy tool. The logic is straightforward: by raising the cost of a common barrier to pregnancy, the state hopes to nudge couples towards starting or expanding their families.
This move is not happening in isolation. It is part of a broader, aggressive campaign to boost China's population growth. For decades, the country enforced a strict one-child policy, which successfully curbed population explosion but has now led to a severe aging society and a shrinking workforce. The government has scrapped that policy and is now actively promoting larger families.
A Multi-Pronged Campaign for More Babies
The effort to make condoms less accessible through price is just one facet of a nationwide push. The Chinese government is deploying a wide array of incentives and propaganda to promote childbirth. These measures include significant tax breaks, housing subsidies, and cash rewards for families who have a second or third child. State media consistently runs stories glorifying parenthood and large families.
Furthermore, authorities have cracked down on the private sector's role in family planning. In a significant step, companies like Zhejiang Dahan Medical Technology have been forced to discontinue the sale of popular home abortion kits. This restricts easy access to emergency contraception, aligning with the state's pronatalist objectives. The government is essentially reshaping the entire landscape of reproductive health, making procreation the default and preferred choice.
Expert Skepticism and Underlying Challenges
Despite these heavy-handed measures, many demographers and economists are skeptical about their effectiveness. The core issue, experts argue, is not the cost of condoms but the monumental financial and social cost of raising children in modern China. Sky-high education expenses, exorbitant housing prices in cities, and demanding work cultures act as powerful deterrents for young couples.
"The high cost of child-rearing is the fundamental reason for the low willingness to have children," the Hua Chuang Securities report itself admitted. Simply making contraception slightly more expensive does little to address these deep-rooted economic anxieties. Many young Chinese, burdened by job pressure and lifestyle aspirations, are choosing to marry later or not at all, further compounding the demographic challenge.
The data underscores the policy's struggle. In 2023, China's birth rate hit a record low, with only 9.02 million births reported—the lowest since the founding of the People's Republic. The population also shrank for a second consecutive year. These figures suggest that the government's promotional campaigns and restrictive measures have so far failed to alter the fundamental calculus for young families.
In conclusion, China's attempt to boost its birth rate by increasing condom prices is a stark indicator of the severity of its population crisis. While it reflects the state's willingness to intervene in personal decisions, it overlooks the primary economic barriers deterring parenthood. The success of this and other pronatalist policies remains uncertain as China races against time to rejuvenate its aging population.
