Demographic Issues

A number of demographic issues have been created as a result of the One Child Policy.

Due to a traditional preference for male children, it is common for young girls to be killed or abandoned by their parents. This has led to a significant gender imbalance in China, with some sources reporting that men outnumber women by as many as 60 million.

Another problem is the shifting dependency ratio caused by a fertility rate as low as 1.5. This will lead to an aging population similar to that seen in many MEDCs for example Germany. However in China's case the effects may be more extreme due to a rapidly decreasing workforce.