China Case Study Cards for OCR June 2012 GCSE Exam

• China has the worlds largest population at about 1.3 billion, this equates to 25% of the worlds population.
• Yet China is only 9% of the worlds land area.
• And only 6% of the worlds agricultural land.
• The birth rate is 17 per 1000.
• The death rate is 7 per 1000.
• So a natural increase of 10 per 1000.
• China is the only country which has had to cap population growth as strictly as this.
• The policy was introduced in 1979 after 10 years of trying to persuade people to have less children with the 'Long, late and few'  argument.
• The policy will stay in place indefinitely, but has been modified so that two children are allowed if:

   - The parents are farmers and their first child was a girl.
   - The first child is disabled.
   - Both parents were only children themselves.
   - Or the parents are from an ethnic minority.

• Free contraceptives to all.
• Free family planning advice - from the granny police)
• Forced sterilisation for those with more than one child.
• Free education and healthcare for the first child only, any others have to be paid for.
• Substantial fines for having more than one child.
• Forced abortions for some people.
• People are encouraged to tell on neighbours who are planning on having another child.
• 10% pay rise for those with just one child.
• Priority over jobs and housing for parents of just one child.
• The state can control when a couple can marry and start a family.
• The legal age to marry is 20 for females and 22 for males, which has decreased from when the policy was first put in place.
• People with more than one child are commonly discriminated.
• Longer maternity leave is granted for the first child.
• The policy has now become more friendly with less forced sterilisations and abortions, as this is replaced by better education on family size and planning.

Positive Impacts:

• The population growth is slowing down in towns. The natural increase has gone from 19% to 10%.
• 250 million births have been prevented.
• It has helped China's economy grow more rapidly.

Advantages of Lower Birth Rates:

• Women have more rights and are more frequently becoming employed.
• The standard of living has increased.
• Due to migration to cities, there is more farming in rural areas so less food is imported.
• More and better jobs are available, so higher salaries.
• Improved healthcare means; lower infant mortality and longer life expectancy.
• Better education for all so higher literacy rates.
• There is less strain on resources.

• It is hard to control birth rates in the countryside. 
• Female infanticide as the males carry on the family name, inherit from the parents and look after them when they become older.
• 114 boys to every 100 girls. There are 60 million more boys than girls.
• Young men struggle to find wives.
• Could lead to an ageing population.
• Little Emperor Effect as the child is spoilt.
• When they are older they will have to support 4 grandparents and 2 parents. The 4 2 1 problem.
• Internationally seen as a breach of human rights.
• Population still set to double in the next 100 years.