From One-Child to Cash for Children – China’s Demographic U-Turn

15.08.2025

For decades, China’s government pursued one of the most aggressive anti-family and anti-life policies—the infamous “one-child policy.” Millions of unborn children were lost through forced abortions and sterilizations. Families were penalised for welcoming more than one child, and an entire culture was shaped to view children as a burden rather than a blessing.

Now, the consequences of those choices are hitting hard. Birth rates have fallen to record lows, the population is ageing rapidly, and a labour shortage threatens the nation’s future. The same government that once punished large families is now scrambling to encourage them.

In July 2025, news broke of a new nationwide policy: parents will receive 3,600 yuan (about $500 USD) per year for every child under the age of three, with the payments backdated to January 1, 2025. This childcare subsidy is part of a broader campaign to reverse the demographic decline.

It is a stark reminder that the family is the foundation of any society. When that foundation is undermined—whether through restrictive laws, anti-natalist propaganda, or the devaluing of life itself—the damage is not easily repaired. Cash incentives may help in the short term, but rebuilding a culture that cherishes children takes generations.

China’s reversal should be a warning to every nation flirting with anti-family policies. A society that refuses to welcome life will one day find itself desperate to recover what it has lost. And by then, no government cheque can replace the generations that never were.