Asians aren't a single group; birth limits, primarily known from China's past "one-child policy," have changed, with China now allowing three children and even moving towards removing limits to boost its low birth rate, while other Asian nations have different policies or focus on incentives, reflecting diverse cultural views on family size.
The 4-2-1 family structure refers to families in which three generations coexist in a variety of family forms. The structure emphasizes a social living community, including four older people (paternal and maternal grandparents), two parents, and one child, based on relationships of marriage, kinship, and adoption.
In 1979, China designed its one-child policy, which was rolled out nationally from 1980 to curb population growth by limiting couples to having just one child. By this point, China's fertility rate — the number of children per woman — had already fallen quickly in the early 1970s, as you can see in the chart.
In the mid-1980s, rural parents were allowed to have a second child if the first was a daughter. It also allowed exceptions for some other groups, including ethnic minorities under 10 million people. In 2015, the government raised the limit to two children, and in May 2021 to three.
The one child per family policy is a bit of a misnomer. A better way of phrasing it would be a one birth per family policy. Women who give birth to twins, triplets, or more aren't penalized in any way. In fact, the restriction to a single birth is only strictly enforced in densely-populated areas.
The "Three Ts" in China refer to the highly sensitive topics of Taiwan, Tibet, and Tiananmen Square, which are major taboos and subjects of strict censorship, with discussions often discouraged or forbidden due to their challenge to the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) narrative and authority. Foreigners are often advised to avoid these topics to prevent discomfort, legal issues, or awkwardness with Chinese citizens.
In case you've never heard of a pigeon pair before, it's used to describe a family that has just 2 children: either a boy and girl as 'singles', or twins that are a boy and girl.
The three-child policy (Chinese: 三孩政策; pinyin: Sānhái Zhèngcè), whereby a couple can have three children, is a family planning policy in the People's Republic of China.
Abortion regulations may vary depending on the rules of the province. In an effort to curb sex-selective abortion, Jiangxi and Guizhou restrict non-medically necessary abortions after 14 weeks of pregnancy, while throughout most of China abortions are legal after 14 weeks.
China had an average household size of 2.98 people in 2021. The indicator recorded a year-on-year decline of 0.7% in 2021. Between 2010 and 2021, the indicator decreased by 10.8%. The average household size in China was highest in the year 2010 and lowest in the year 2021, between 2010 and 2021.
China's "3-hour rule" for minors restricts children under 18 to playing online video games for only three hours per week, specifically from 8 PM to 9 PM on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays, to combat gaming addiction and improve health. Implemented by the National Press and Publication Administration (NPPA) in 2021, the rule mandates gaming companies use real-name verification and facial recognition to enforce limits, though some children bypass it using adult accounts.
The leading causes of death in China are Cardiovascular Diseases (CVD), particularly stroke and ischemic heart disease, followed by cancers (like lung and liver cancer) and respiratory diseases such as Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). CVDs consistently rank first, accounting for nearly half of all deaths, highlighting a significant health burden from chronic conditions, alongside rising cancer and respiratory issues.
Faced with an ageing population and sluggish economy, Beijing has been trying hard to encourage more young Chinese people to marry, and couples to have children. Official figures show that China's population has shrunk three years in a row, with just 9.54 million babies born in 2024.
Yes, China has one of the world's highest homeownership rates, often cited as around 90% or even higher (87% urban, 96% rural), driven by post-1998 housing reforms that privatized public housing and strong cultural emphasis on property as stability and a prerequisite for marriage. However, this figure can be misleading; it primarily counts those with urban household registration (hukou), often excluding many migrant workers, and while ownership is high, many face significant mortgage burdens, and the land itself remains state-owned.
The 996 working hour system (Chinese: 996工作制) is a work schedule that derives its name from its requirement that workers clock in from 9:00 am to 9:00 pm, 6 days per week, resulting in employees working 12 hours per day and 72 hours per week. It is practiced illegally by some companies in China.
But the goal of easing domestic demographic pressures is probably the main motive for the Chinese government's decision to ban foreign adoptions, despite speculation by international media that it is politically motivated. Not long ago, Russia took a similar step.
In Japan, abortion is legal under the Maternal Protection Act, and permitted if continuing the pregnancy would seriously impact the woman's physical health or cause significant economic or social hardship. It is also legal in cases of rape or incest, and must be performed before 22 weeks of pregnancy.
Among the developing countries, Cuba and Vietnam currently have the highest documented abortion rates. The high rate in Cuba may be attributed to a desire for low fertility combined with access to a limited range of contraceptive methods, use of low-quality IUDs and irregular contraceptive supplies.
Wade—the U.S. Supreme Court decision which legalized abortion nationwide), Tunisia and Denmark (1973), Austria (1974), France and Sweden (1975), New Zealand (1977), Italy (1978), the Netherlands (1984), and Belgium (1990).
In summary
Twins were allowed and both would be legal children. Having twins did not mean you could have more children beyond what the policy allowed, unless there were other policy exceptions. The rules have since changed, and as of 2016, families are generally allowed two or more children in China.
The Birth Rate in Countries Around the World
The country with the highest birth rate according to the data is Niger. The fertility rate in Niger is 6.8 children per family. The next countries on the list with the highest fertility rate are Somalia and Chad, both located in Africa.
Clip: China is hoping that three is a lucky number for families in the world's most populous nation. On Monday, the government announced it will allow couples to have up to three children instead of the current limit of two.
A daisy baby is another name for babies with TTTS. The Twin-to-Twin Transfusion Syndrome Foundation coined the term after its founder planted daisy seeds with her surviving twin son in their backyard. The daisy field is a symbol of hope that all babies affected by TTTS will survive.
Yes, a girl can be considered a femboy, though the term traditionally describes males expressing femininity, as femboy is about gender expression (feminine style/mannerisms) not necessarily gender identity, meaning anyone can embrace feminine expression; however, for someone assigned female at birth (AFAB), "femboy" might feel contradictory, with some preferring terms like "tomboy" (feminine person with masculine traits) or exploring nonbinary identities, while others enjoy the label for its aesthetic or to express a softer side, but it's crucial to respect how individuals label themselves, as some AFAB people use it to describe a specific feminine-masculine blend.
A millionaire's family or a million-dollar family is “a family with one daughter and one son,” supposedly an ideal combination of offspring.