Population Policies
- Many countries have at some time had population policies in an attempt to either reduce or increase their populations
- Governments do this to try and achieve a balance between population and resources
- Policies focus on birth rates and sometimes migration
Anti-natalist policies
- The aim of anti-natalist policies is to reduce pressure on resources and improve the quality of life for the whole population
- These are policies introduced to reduce the birth rate
- Policies can be law - as in China - or they can be voluntary
- The best-known example is China's one-child policy which was in effect from 1979 to 2016, although it was relaxed in 1999
- The policy used a variety of methods to reduce the birth rate including:
- Fines for having more than one child
- Increased access to contraceptives and family planning education
- Posters and adverts to promote the advantages of only having one child
- Better employment opportunities for those with only one child
- No payment for education or healthcare for second children
- There were also reports of forced abortions and sterilisations
- Promoting late marriages
- Abortion was legalised
- The policy has had many impacts including:
- Affecting the male/female ratio due to the preference for male children
- There are over 30 million more men under 20 than women under 20
- Decrease in population growth rate
- An ageing population
- Other countries/special administrative regions which have had anti-natalist policies in the past include:
- Singapore 1972-1987
- Taiwan 1964 - late 1970s
Pro-natalist policies
- The aim of pro-natalist policies is to increase the population due to:
- An ageing population which increases social and healthcare costs
- A workforce shortage
- Reduced payment of taxes due to fewer workers
- There are a number of countries that have implemented pro-natalist policies including:
- France
- Singapore - after 1987
- Sweden
- Russia
- In France, past policies have included:
- Discounts on public transport for families with three or more children
- Increased paid maternity leave
- Better mortgage deals
- Tax allowances
- Free childcare from 3 to school age
- Cash incentives for mothers who stay at home to care for children
- Subsidised holidays
- The policies have led to one of the highest fertility rates in Europe
- Measures that have been used elsewhere to encourage people to have larger families include:
- Improved maternity and paternity leave/rights
- Increased child benefits
- Tax allowances for larger families which reduce tax payments
- Baby bonus (Singapore)
