2016 Two-Child Policy

In 2016, China officially changed its decades-long one-child policy to a two-child policy. This shift allowed families to have up to two children, aiming to address demographic challenges such as an aging population and a shrinking workforce. The one-child policy, introduced in 1979, had significant social and economic impacts, but the new policy sought to encourage population growth and balance the population structure. The move was also an acknowledgment of the pressures and societal implications caused by a declining birth rate and a growing number of elderly citizens.