Population and Society

This chapter investigates the interplay between population dynamics and societal factors in China over the 70 years since the founding of PRC. It analyzes social influences on and consequences of population changes across four sections. The first examines natural growth, highlighting policy-driven fertility declines from high to below-replacement levels, mortality reductions extending life expectancy, and socioeconomic drivers like education, women’s status, family functions, and security systems. The second addresses migration’s social impacts, including urbanization effects on family structures and integration challenges. The third explores the societal burdens of population aging, such as pension strains, elder care, and intergenerational relations. The fourth focuses on sex structure imbalances, particularly elevated sex ratios at birth (SRB) due to son preference, B-ultrasound misuse, and policy effects, alongside governance strategies emphasizing gender equality, policy coordination, legal protections, and economic development to restore sex ratio balance.