http://occupytheory.

org/list-of-pros-and-cons-of-china-one-child-policy/
LIST OF PROS OF CHINA ONE CHILD POLICY
There are a variety of pros for the one child policy that is present in China. The policy
was implemented in 1980 using an open letter provided by the Chinese Communist
Party. The government has since campaigned nationally and locally to utilize voluntary
birth control and has discouraged excess reproduction. Those who had more than one
child would be fined, though there were exceptions and some families were allowed to
have a second child only if the first one resulted in a girl being born.
1.
Population
is
Under
Control
The population of China has become managed as a result of the one child policy. 50
years ago, China was the most populous country in the world, and while it still is, the
population has not grown as considerably as it would have if the policy was not in place.
Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, there was a significant population increase all around
the world. However, it was more prevalent in China because of the large population to
begin with. The population growth has been contained, and there are a number of
healthy citizens. China has prevented 400 million births within the past three decades,
which is larger than the population of the United States and that is a considerable
number to look at when determining if the population control has been a success.
2.
Manpower
is
Unaffected
Manpower has been unaffected by the one child policy, which is an important pro to take
into consideration. China is the manufacturing hub of the world, and many feared that
the one child policy would affect the development and industrialization, which it has not.
There are still enough working individuals across the country to manufacture and
industrialize as needed so that China remains the go to country for manufacturing. This
is likely a title that China is going to hold for decades to come because they have not
shown any signs of meeting to slow down in their production. The slightly smaller
population in terms of growth also ensures that there are plenty of positions within the
manufacturing industry so that everyone within the country can be employed. If there
were more people, it may result in a higher unemployment rate.
3.
Economy
is
Under
Control
The economy is stable in China as a result of the one child policy as well. A growth
within the population would have made the country poor. There would have been more
expenses in welfare and support schemes, and have a negative impact on the
environment as well. As a result of controlling the population, companies were able to
continue offering jobs to families and improve the livelihood of everyone across the
country. If there were more people within the population, the government would likely be
providing assistance programs to many families, and this would cause the economy to
shift considerably in comparison to where it is at today.
4.
Quality
of
Life
is
Appropriate
The quality of life is appropriate, and, for the most part, no one is suffering. The one
child policy makes it possible to offer a high level of healthcare and education to
everyone. If the hospitals and the schools were being overcrowded by a large population,
it would make it nearly impossible for the quality of life to be where it is today. Society as

a whole has fared better because of the one child policy in place. While not everyone
agrees with the policy, very few people will talk ill about the quality of life provided
across China, especially when compared to the quality of life of other countries in
surrounding areas. For the most part, the people of China live very well.
LIST OF CONS OF CHINA ONE CHILD POLICY
Many people are against the one child policy of China. Many people say that it is against
the will of God, and it is an abuse of human rights. There is a long list of cons, just as
there is a long list of pros. These need to be weighed back and forth in order to
determine whether the policy is truly something that needs to go away or whether it
should continue for decades to come.
1.
The
Population
is
Still
Expanding
The goal of the one child policy was to get the population under control. According to
many critics, the policy has failed miserably. The country still has more than 13 billion
people inside of it. In the last three decades since the policy was implemented, there
have been over 12 million people born and that is the population of Greece. This
cannot be a measure of success for the policy. An experiment was run secretly in one
county of China were to trial policy was put into place. After 25 years, the 2010 study
found that the growth within the population was less in the county than the rest of the
country, and the gender ratio was in a better place. This secret experiment has proven
that the one child policy is not necessarily what has controlled the boom in population.
2.
Unhealthy
Ratio
of
Males
to
Females
There is an alarming problem with the male to female ratio within the country. There are
approximately 50,000,000 more males than there are females. This is not natural, and is
absolutely detrimental to the society as a whole. The natural ratio around the world is
approximately 106 males for every 100 females. This demonstrates that there is a very
unhealthy ratio taking place within China. Millions of men will never find a girlfriend or
wife, which can lead to depression. They have no chance of having one with this ratio,
which can stunt the population decades from now as well. The full repercussions have
not begun to show.
3.
Aging
Population
is
Unaccounted
For
The aging population has yet to be accounted for in terms of how it is going to impact
society and the economy. There is an aging population throughout China, which is
eventually going to take the advantage away from China for being the most populous.
Additionally, there are more elderly people, which is going to cause a significant rise in
healthcare costs as well as a decrease in the available manpower. This is going to have a
dramatic impact on the economy, and not a positive one. As more people leave the
workforce, there are not enough new people entering the workforce, and it could result in
problems with the manufacturing industry. There may not be enough people to run the
factories and push industrialization forward across the country. This can cause a huge
ripple effect across the rest of the world as so many other countries depend upon China
for manufacturing their goods.
4.
Life
Becomes
Difficult
for
Kids
In Chinese culture, the parents will eventually come to live with the children. When
there is only one child for each set of parents, it becomes a burden on this child. If there

are surviving parents of a child that is married, he must support himself, his wife, his
parents, as well as his wifes parents. This is a considerable financial burden,
particularly if the wife does not work. As long as the one child policy continues, this is
going to be a financial problem for children as they get older and their parents come to
live with them. If there were multiple children born, the burden could be spread between
the children as opposed to falling squarely on the shoulders of a single child.

http://occupytheory.org/one-child-policy-pros-and-cons-list/
The one child policy has been popularized due to Chinas 30 year ban. As the country
starts to age rapidly, this controversial law has caused many advantages and
shortcomings since its implementation. Has its originating impact been made to benefit
the nation or has it caused more devastation? Here is a look at the pros and cons of the
one child policy.
THE PROS TO THE ONE CHILD POLICY
1.

Lower

the

poverty

level

in

China.

In many areas of the country, over population has become a main issue that often brings
with it social setbacks such as financial hardship and poverty. To try and limit the
poverty level, as well as look out for the population amounts that are rising, the
government stepped in with family planning laws to help eradicate poverty.
2.

Lower

the

population

level

in

China.

The population in China is always rising and it has become an important issue with the
Chinese government to try and keep the population numbers from rising too
dramatically. In doing this, they are limiting poverty levels, allowing for more economic
growth amongst the country.
3.

Lower

the

fertility

rate.

In the mid 1980s many Chinese families had five or more children, a staggering number
with how many people already inhabit this area. Now, 25 years later, the number has
dropped to an average of 2-3 children per family. While still not the ideal number the
government has, the staggering increase in population has slowed from this policy.
THE CONS TO THE ONE CHILD POLICY
1.

Forced

abortions

and

forced

outside

adoptions.

While many feel that it is against human rights to impose a limit to the size one can have
on their family, the government has implemented this to help families. Many people are
opposed to this law though and feel that the number should be changed to two at a
minimum. Many women, sadly, are forced into abortion of their children or if they do
have a child, are often forced to give up their child for adoption. The policy was partially
designed to stop this travesty from happening.
2.

Outside

birth

tourism.

This term refers to having children overseas. Many women who are faced with abortion
or giving up their child once it has been born often turn to having their children in other
countries to escape losing their child. Many have fled to Hong Kong, which is exempt
from the One Child Policy. While Hong Kong allows for this to happen and offers women

a chance to save their children, the costs to have births for women who have fled here
has drastically increased.
3.

There

are

other

ways

to

accomplish

the

same

ideal.

What we mean by this is that there are other alternatives to only allowing one child.
Many people have suggested a span of time between births to allow for more than one
child. Some have suggested that an eight to ten year age difference would allow for the
population rise to slow down while allowing people to still have more than one child and
allowing for a larger family. While it is practiced in some parts of China, it has yet to
become a part of the governmental policies.
http://flowpsychology.com/10-biggest-pros-and-cons-of-the-one-child-policy/
In the midst of a rapidly growing population the Chinese government took extreme
matters. The food supply was dwindling, as well as general space for people in the
already congested China in the late 1970s. The Chinese government began to take a
strong stance on children, specifically having more than one of them. They encouraged
abortions, gave away free birth contraceptives, and did their best to educate the people
on having safe sex, but to no avail. In the year 1980, they implemented a mandatory
policy that shook the entire nation, the One Child Policy. It is just as it sounds, couples
where legally only allowed to give birth and raise one child. This is a policy that is still
alive and well in China today, but many people are rebelling against this oppressive rule
and trying to educate the rest of the world on the effects that it is having. In order to
truly understand the magnitude of this policy, you first need to understand what it is,
how it is enforced, and how it has affected the Chinese people and the world.
The Pros of the One Child Policy
1.

Helps

To

Ease

The

Over

Population

Problems

China has a population of nearly one and a half billion people. They make up almost
20% of the entire worlds population. This is a scary number, especially because it has
been consistently on the raise for decades. The food sources, government resources,
educational and housing needs, and land in China is dwindling, and fast. This was the
main reason that the One Child Policy was implemented in the first place. Since its
beginning, it has prevented over 400 million births and helped to ease the over
population problem.
2.

Certain

Exceptions

Are

In

Place

Certain circumstances will allow a couple to conceive and give birth to a second child.
Very wealthy people can simply pay a (hefty) fine in order to gain the rights to have
multiple children. If a couple has a severely handicapped child, they may also be
permitted to have another baby. There are, however, no truly clear cut rules on the

situation and it is up to the government officials to made a decision with each individual
case.
3.

Motivating

Incentives

To

Complying

Couples

Couples who comply with the One Child Policy, and only parent one baby, are given a
certificate stating that they only have a single child. This certificate buys them some
pretty good benefits. Some of these include completely interest free loans, subsidies for
education and housing, and a much longer maternity leave. All of these things are very
beneficial to the Chinese people.
4.

Widely

Accepted

Policy

Surprisingly, a very large percentage of Chinese people are in favor of the One Child
policy and believe that it has had many beneficial affects for the country. It was not
nearly as accepted when it was first implemented, this was because of the long rooted
tradition in Chinese culture to have large families, but has since becoming much more
supported.
5.

Greatly

Lowered

The

Poverty

Rate

The problem of overcrowding wasnt just a matter of space. Jobs became very sparse, as
well as food and other resources necessary to live a comfortable and healthy life.
Because of the huge growth in people, many were living in extreme poverty conditions.
After the one child policy took effect, the poverty rate slowly began to decline in the
country.
The Disadvantages of the One Child Policy
1.

Abortion

and

Infanticide

Rates

Climb

The biggest issue with the One Child policy in China is the alarming rate at which
children are being killed or abandoned, mostly girls. Since only one child can be had, the
overwhelming majority want to have boys. Boys provide labor, money making potential,
and a namesake for the family. This fact has surged the amount of infant children,
majority girls, who are abandoned or even killed after they are born. Later term
abortions are also very common, once the gender of the baby is revealed. Abortion rates
are also tremendously high because if a couple already has a child, they are forced to
abort if they become pregnant with another.
2.

The

Little

Emperor

Syndrome

Having an only child, or being an only child, means that the attention and resources of
the parents are focused solely on them for their entire lives. This has caused multiple
problems among the youth in China. Obesity being one of the most concerning. The
child is catered to, over indulged, and given just about anything that they want. This has
resulted in lazy and overweight children in most of China. Another issue is the overall

attitude of these one child policy offspring. They have a feeling of entitlement and feel as
though they are emperors. Hence, little emperor syndrome.
3.

High

Pressure

For

The

Child

If you are your parents only child, many responsibilities and pressures fall upon your
shoulders. All of the expectations that your parents have are left for you to achieve,
especially when it comes to education and careers. The suicide rate in China is much
higher than most other countries because of this stress. Another problem that these
children face as they grow older is the fact that they are the only person that can take
care of their aging parents and grandparents. This has resulted into a bit of a disaster
for China, which is being referred to as the 4-2-1 problem. In Chinese culture, the child
takes care of the elders in the family when they are no longer able to take care of
themselves. This leaves four grandparents, two parents, and only one child to take care
of them all.
4.
Major
Gender
Imbalance
The majority of the population in China is male due to the fact that people can only have
one child, and a boy is the only one that can provide money making potential and carry
the families name forward. A major imbalance in males and females has resulted for the
country. This will cause problems in the near future because it will become increasingly
harder for a man to find a wife to bear him children.
5.
Other
Problems
That
Are
Arising
Some of the other issues that the One Child Policy in China has been causing for the
country are a dwindling workforce. The population is still massive, but now the majority
of Chinese people are elderly, leaving not enough people to sustain the countries massive
labor needs. Another major problem with this policy is the infringement it has on the
moral and ethical values that a family wishes to adopt.
Important Facts About The One Child Policy
Ethnic minorities through out the country are exempt from the One Child Policy.
It is estimated that India will become the most populated country, surpassing China
in 2027.
The fertility rate in China dropped from 5.1 in the 1960s to only 1.5 after the policy
was implemented.
There are posters all over China to promote this policy. One of the common ones
reads Less Children, Better Life.
Along with advocated only having one child, the policy also wants people to get
married much later and have children much older.