# Why Chinese Parents Don’t Want Two Kids

> China’s low birth rate stems from high costs and social pressures on parenting.
- Title: Why Chinese Parents Don’t Want Two Kids · Foreign Policy
- Summary: China’s low birth rate stems from high costs and social pressures on parenting. Chinese parents avoid having two children due to career risks, medical costs…
- Keywords: china, birth rate, childbirth, parenting, fertility, one-child policy, cesarean section, postpartum care, surrogacy, hukou, Chinese, Parents
- Source: Foreign Policy — https://foreignpolicy.com/2026/10/06/china-birth-rate-pregnancy-fertility-children-parenting-costs
- Author: James Palmer
- Published: 2026-10-07T00:00:00+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: china, birth rate, childbirth, parenting, fertility, one-child policy, cesarean section, postpartum care, surrogacy, hukou
## China’s Birth Rate Decline
China’s birth rate dropped sharply since 2017 despite government efforts to encourage larger families.
## One-Child Policy Legacy
Even during the one-child policy era from 1979 to 2015, Chinese couples averaged nearly two children.
## Two-Child Policy Fails
Loosening the policy to two children in 2015 and three in 2021 produced no increase in births.
## Childcare Costs
China is the second-most expensive country to raise a child, with education costs soaring after age 12.
## Maternity Leave Gaps
Many Chinese women cannot take full maternity leave due to weak enforcement and informal employment.
## Career Risks for Women
Urban women face career replacement risks after childbirth due to gender discrimination in hiring practices.
## Medical Bribery
Parents pay bribes at every stage of childbirth in Chinese public hospitals due to medical system graft.
## High C-Section Rates
China’s cesarean section rate reached 44.5 percent in 2020, far above the WHO’s recommended 10 to 15 percent.
## Postpartum Confinement
Many Chinese families follow 'sitting the month,' a 30-to-40-day postpartum confinement for mothers.
## Grandparent Stress
Young couples living far from hometowns face stress from grandparents sleeping on sofas in one-bedroom apartments.
## Surrogacy Challenges
Chinese parents seek surrogacy through gray markets due to hukou restrictions for babies born via surrogate.
## Why Only One Child
Chinese parents avoid having two children due to career risks, medical costs, and postpartum care burdens.
## Key takeaway

Chinese parents avoid having two children due to career risks, medical costs, and postpartum care burdens.