China's Sichuan province allows unmarried people to legally have children

In Sichuan, a province in southwest China, unmarried people are now legally allowedto have children and enjoy perks that were earlierexclusively available to married couples, according to health officials, as Beijing continues to unveil initiatives to boost its declining birth rate. Sichuan is China's fifth-most populous province.It ranks eighthin terms of the percentage of its population that is over 60, or more than 21 per cent in China,according to a Reuters report.

Previously, Sichuan's laws restricted pregnancy to married women exclusively. The decision was made at a time when the province's birth and marriage rates have recently both declined to all-time lows. A new set of regulations covering single people who desire to have children was revised by the government in 2019. From February 15, the new regulations will be in force.

Married couples and others who wish to have children will be able to register with the provincial authorities. The proposed law allows them to have as many children as they please. As perthe Sichuan health commission, the initiative seeks to "promote long-term and balanced population development."

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China's population plummeted in 2022for the first time in six decades, marking a historic shift that is anticipated to start another phase of population decline.

As a result, the government has increased its incentives and population-boosting policies, such as maternity insurance to pay for medical expenses and the right of married women to maintain their jobs during maternity leave. These advantages will now be available to unmarried men and women in Sichuan as well.

(With inputs from agencies)

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