The Demographic Problems of China

The Demographic Problems of China

Christina, Gretta, Jill, Fiona

According to the demographic data recently, among the 1,330,044,605 people in China, there are 267,386,056 people under the age of 14, at a proportion of 20.1% of the population, including 142,085,665 males and 125,300,391 females; 956,533,408 people are between 15 and 64, taking a proportion of 71.9% of the population with 491,513,378 males and 465,020,030 females and 106,125,141 people are above 65 (including 65), 8% of the population with 50,652,480males and 55,472,661 females.

The Birth Rate of China is 13.71 births/1,000 population.

The Sex Ratio of China: Total population: 1.06 male(s)/female

At birth: 1.11 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.13 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.91 male(s)/female

(http://www.indexmundi.com/china/demographics_profile .html)

By analyzing China’s existing demographic problems, we can not just depend on the age structures, the sex ratio and the birth rate, yet, we should also look for some further details.

The following table shows the population of China from year 2004 to 2007.

(http://www.china.com.cn/aboutchina/zhuanti/zgrk/2008-04/14/content_14946722.htm;http://www.stats.gov.cn/tjsj/ndsj/2007/html/D0401e.htm;http://www.chinapop.gov.cn/wxzl/rkgk/200806/t20080629_157019.htm;http://www.stats.gov.cn/tjgb/rkpcgb/qgrkpcgb/t20060316_402310923.htm)

Per Capita Net Income of Rural Households and its Growth, 2003-2007

Per Capita Disposable Income of Urban Households and its Growth, 2003-2007

(http://www.stats.gov.cn/english/newsandcomingevents/t20080228_402465066.htm)

From the data, we can find that China is now facing a crisis about the population. The sex ratio is getting bigger. China has more males than females which may bring out some potential security problems. Besides, the increasing of urban residents together with the decreasing of rural residents indicates that China is speeding up to urbanize, thus, this also means that more farmlands are vacant and the food supply will decrease. From the diagrams above, we can also find that, both the rural households’ net income and the urban households’ disposable income are increasing which shows that both rural and urban households are increasing their living standard slowly but surely. The central government in Beijing executes a series of measures to improve the revenues of average citizens.

From the data above, we can conclude that there are a large proportion of young and middle aged people in China now, but the birth rate is getting low. By the year 2004, the population of aged people has already reached 9,857, 7.58% of the whole population. China has already stepped into the aging society. Besides, since the birth rate is getting lower, the aging population is growing faster and the aging problem in China is getting tougher. China’s aging growth rate is faster than the world’s aging growth rate. It is estimated by the United Nations that from the year 1990 to 2020, the world’s average increase rate of population would be 2.5%; meanwhile, the increase rate in China would be 3.3%. China now is facing a huge challenge of aging problem. (http://news.xinhuanet.com/newmedia/2005-09/19/content_3511676.htm)

The aging problem will limit China’s economic growth. China now has an abundant working population, but because of the low increase rate of birth, what it will be in ten years, twenty years or even longer? China is famous for its rich and cheap labor force. China was building its economy by becoming the world’s factory because of its low labor costs, but if there were not enough work forces, the labor costs must increase. In order to keep a stable growth rate of economy, China must change its production structure and transform the economic growth mode.

In conclusion, people may blame China’s aging problem on the government’s one-child policy, but the policy also help limit the rapid growth of population in China effectively in the last thirty years, but now China has become one of the world’s fastest aging countries. One coin has two sides; we should let the good work best for us and avoid the bad effects. The aging problem is an ongoing problem that is needed to be solved badly; at the same time, we should not burden to our nation’s overwhelming population. The first thing we should do is to develop the economy and improve the social welfare system.

Bibliography:

1. The World Fact Book－China

https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ch.html#People

2. China Demographics Profile 2008
http://www.indexmundi.com/china/demographics_profile.html

3. China Statistical Yearbook 2007

http://www.stats.gov.cn/tjsj/ndsj/2007/indexch.htm

4. http://www.stats.gov.cn/tjsj/ndsj/2007/html/D0401e.htm

5. Statistical Communiqué of the People’s Republic of China on the 2007

http://www.stats.gov.cn/english/newsandcomingevents/t20080228_402465066.htm

6. http://news.xinhuanet.com/newmedia/2005-09/19/content_3511676.htm

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