Population Policies (Cambridge (CIE) IGCSE Geography)

Population Policies

• Many countries have had population policies in place

  • These policies are an attempt to either reduce or increase their populations

  • Governments do this to try and achieve a balance between population and resources

• Policies usually focus on birth rates and sometimes migration

Anti-natalist policies

• Anti-natalist policies aim to reduce pressure on resources and improve the quality of life for the whole population

  • These are policies introduced to reduce the birth rate

• Policies can be law, as in China, or they can be voluntary 

China's population policy

• The best-known example is China's one-child policy, which was in effect from 1979 to 2016, although it was relaxed in 1999

• The policy used a variety of methods to reduce the birth rate, including: 

  • fines for having more than one child

  • increased access to contraceptives and family planning education

  • posters and adverts to promote the advantages of only having one child

  • better employment opportunities for those with only one child

  • no payment for education or healthcare for second children

  • there were also reports of forced abortions and sterilisations 

  • promoting late marriages

  • abortion was legalised

• The policy has had many impacts, it has:

  • affected the male/female ratio due to the preference for male children

  • led to over 30 million more men under 20 than women under 20

  • caused a decrease in population growth rate

  • led to an ageing population

• Other countries/special administrative regions that have had anti-natalist policies in the past include:

  • Singapore 1972-1987

  • Taiwan 1964 - late 1970s

Pro-natalist policies

• The aim of pro-natalist policies is to increase the population due to:

  • an ageing population, which increases social and healthcare costs 

  • a workforce shortage

  • reduced payment of taxes due to fewer workers

• There are a number of countries that have implemented pro-natalist policies, including:

  • France

  • Singapore, after 1987

  • Sweden

  • Russia

• Measures that have been used to encourage people to have larger families include:

  • improved maternity and paternity leave rights

  • increased child benefits

  • tax allowances for larger families, which reduce tax payments

  • baby bonus (Singapore)

French population policy

• In France, past policies have included:

  • discounts on public transport for families with three or more children

  • increased paid maternity leave

  • better mortgage deals

  • tax allowances

  • free childcare from 3 to school age

  • cash incentives for mothers who stay at home to care for children

  • subsidised holidays

• The policies have led to one of the highest fertility rates in Europe