Sichuan allows unmarried people to legally have children

• Sichuan will remove restrictions on unmarried individuals having children.
• The move is part of a larger government effort to increase the nation’s declining birth rate.
• Only married couples are currently permitted to register the births of up to two children.

Sichuan, a province in south-west China, will remove restrictions on unmarried individuals having children as part of a larger government effort to increase the nation’s declining birth rate.

The change in policy followed China’s population declining last year for the first time in more than 60 years, a historic turning point in the country’s escalating demographic problem.

Only married couples are currently permitted by the Sichuan government to register the births of up to two children.

There is no cap on the number of children that can be registered as of February 15; this includes unmarried parents.

In China, parents frequently need to register their child’s birth in order to get benefits like maternity insurance.

A household registration document, known as a hukou, is also required in order to give children access to social welfare services including healthcare and school.

The new rules, according to a statement from the Sichuan Provincial Health Commission, changed the emphasis of birth registration to “the desire and results of childbirth.”

According to a representative of the Sichuan Health Commission, the goal of the policy is to protect the rights of single mums rather than to promote the parenthood of unmarried individuals.

The strategy would support “long-term and balanced population development,” according to the commission’s declaration.

According to the new regulations, single parents in Sichuan will now be able to take use of benefits that were previously only available to married couples.

These benefits include maternity insurance, which pays for paid maternity leave and prenatal care.

Sichuan is the sixth most populous province in China, with a population of more than 83 million.

Its easing of the rules for birth registration follows similar moves made by other provinces, including Guangdong and Shaanxi.

Also Read

Sichuan: Chania allows couples in province to have unlimited children

China's population declined last year for the first time in 60 years....