So, while the developed world’s birthrate is generally trending downward, something is very wrong in China. The Wall Street Journal offers some theories: women want careers, not children; economic uncertainty; and COVID policies. Those are guesses. The sure thing is that the Chinese population is aging rapidly, without youthful replacements. There’s also the intangible of hope. The declining birth rate means that people don’t see a good future for their children.
The other thing happening in China is a pervasive hopelessness that has led more and more people to adopting a fatalistic morbidity about their lives. This is called Lying Flat.
“the number of female babies being born”
The other issue was that many of these baby girls are given up for adoption. Luckily, there are many western families that are very willing to adopt these girls and give them a much better life.
I personally know two families from my church that adopted girl babies from China. One was actually four at the time.
So, in addition to the girls babies that are aborted because the family wanted a boy to carry on the name there have been
millions that left China completely due to adoption.
Peter Zeihan has been preaching this about China for several years.
Could it be that people have changed their focus from creating families to personal fulfillment?
I’d say the CCP is getting bit by the “Law of Unintended Consequences”.