Beijing:
China will stick to its three decade old one child policy, an official has said, amid revelations that suicide rate among the rapidly aging population is on the rise in the world's most populous nation, due to lack of filial care.
China will stick to its family-planning policy in the coming decades to maintain a low fertility rate, Li Bin, head of the National Population and Family Planning Commission said resting speculations that the government may allow people to have more than one child.
The policy, which restricts most Chinese couples to one child, has reduced the fertility rate from six to two since it was introduced in 1970, according to official figures.
"Historical change doesn't come easily, and I, on behalf of Commission, extend profound gratitude to all, the people in particular, for their support of the national course. So we will stick to the family-planning policy in the coming decades," she was quoted as saying by the China Daily.
The policy has prevented over 400 million births restricting the population to about 1.3 billion, the world's largest. It was expected to touch 1.5 billion by 2015.
The new figures were expected in about a year as China this year launched its massive census drive after a decade.
"The one child policy is a success as it curbed rapid population growth but outstanding challenges like an aging population, a skewed sex ratio and a dwindling workforce will peak in 20 to 30 years," Li said.
Meanwhile new data showed that the suicide rate among the elderly living in urban areas rose to a worrying high in recent years.
The suicide rate among elderly urban Chinese aged 70-74 surged to 33.76/100,000 per year during the 2002-2008 period from 13.39/100,000 in the 1990s, Jing Jun, professor from the Department of Sociology at Tsinghua University said.
Among others, lack of filial care, rising medical costs and hardship after relocations contributed to increasing despair among the elderly, another state-run daily Global Times quoted Jing as saying.
China will stick to its family-planning policy in the coming decades to maintain a low fertility rate, Li Bin, head of the National Population and Family Planning Commission said resting speculations that the government may allow people to have more than one child.
The policy, which restricts most Chinese couples to one child, has reduced the fertility rate from six to two since it was introduced in 1970, according to official figures.
"Historical change doesn't come easily, and I, on behalf of Commission, extend profound gratitude to all, the people in particular, for their support of the national course. So we will stick to the family-planning policy in the coming decades," she was quoted as saying by the China Daily.
The policy has prevented over 400 million births restricting the population to about 1.3 billion, the world's largest. It was expected to touch 1.5 billion by 2015.
The new figures were expected in about a year as China this year launched its massive census drive after a decade.
"The one child policy is a success as it curbed rapid population growth but outstanding challenges like an aging population, a skewed sex ratio and a dwindling workforce will peak in 20 to 30 years," Li said.
Meanwhile new data showed that the suicide rate among the elderly living in urban areas rose to a worrying high in recent years.
The suicide rate among elderly urban Chinese aged 70-74 surged to 33.76/100,000 per year during the 2002-2008 period from 13.39/100,000 in the 1990s, Jing Jun, professor from the Department of Sociology at Tsinghua University said.
Among others, lack of filial care, rising medical costs and hardship after relocations contributed to increasing despair among the elderly, another state-run daily Global Times quoted Jing as saying.
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