May 31, 2021 - World

China's government announces new three-child policy for couples

Rebecca Falconer

A woman carrying her child buys vegetables at an open market on May 31, 2021 in Wuhan, China. — A woman with her baby in Wuhan, China, on Monday. Photo: Getty Images

China's government announced Monday it is relaxing strict family planning restrictions and allowing couples to have three children each, per an official Xinhua post translated by Channel News Asia.

Why it matters: The ruling Chinese Communist Party lifted the two-children-per-parents limit in order to counter an aging population and falling birth rate that has raised concerns about the country's economic future.

The big picture: The government imposed a repressive one-child policy to slow population growth in 1979.

It eased the limit on couples to two children in 2016, but Census figures released earlier this month showed the country had recorded its slowest population growth for over half a century.

Go deeper: China's population woes

Editor's note: This article has been updated with new details throughout.

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China's government announces new three-child policy for couples

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