One Child Policy

1. China's One Child Policy was created in 1979 by Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping to temporarily limit communist China's population growth for economic, health, education and poverty reasons. It has thus been in place for more than 32 years.

2. China's One Child Policy most strictly applies to Han Chinese living in urban areas of the country. It does not apply to ethnic minorities throughout the country. Han Chinese represents more than 91% of the Chinese population. Just over 51% of China's population lives in urban areas. In rural areas, Han Chinese families can apply to have a second child if the first child is a girl.

3. Exceptions:

If the first child is born with birth defects or major health problems, the couple is usually permitted to have a second child. It restricts urban couples to only one child, while allowing additional children in several cases, including twins, rural couples, ethnic minorities, and couples who are both only children themselves. As of 2007, 35.9% of the population were subject to a strict one-child limit. 52.9% were permitted to have a second child if their first was a daughter; 9.6% of Chinese couples were permitted two children regardless of their genders; and 1.6% - mainly Tibetans - had no limit at all

4. When the One Child Policy was adopted in 1979, China's population was about 972 million people. In 2012 the population of China is about 1.343 billion people, 138% growth over that time period. The rule has been estimated to have reduced population growth in the country of 1.3 billion by as much as 300 million people over its first twenty years, particularly in the cities. The one-child policy actually only covers about 35%of Chinese, mostly those living in urban areas.

5. If China continues its One Child Policy in the decades to come, it will actually see its population decrease.

6. With the One Child Policy in place, China is expected to achieve zero population growth by 2025. By 2050, China's population growth rate will be -0.5%. A declining population means fewer productive workers (if not consumers). Some fear that the Chinese labor force has hit its peak and will start to decline in just a few years. And in fact, it's expected that China's growth will moderate from 10-12% between 7-9% over the next few years.

7. There are about 113 boys born in China for every 100 girls. This law caused abortion, neglect, abandonment, and even infanticide of infant females.

Sex ratio at birth in mainland China, males per 100 females, 1980-2010.

8. Families who observe the One child Policy were given a “one-child certificate” entitling then to such benefits as cash bonuses, longer maternity leave, better child care, and preferential housing assignments, loans,...

9. For families who violate the One Child Policy, there are sanctions: fines, employment termination, and difficulty in obtaining governmental assistance.

Families who are permitted to have a second child usually have to wait from three to four years after the birth of the first child before conceiving their second child.

10. The recent peak total fertility rate

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