Combating Low Birth Rates With 'Love Breaks'? Chinese Colleges Give Romance-Themed Spring Break

In the face of a declining birth rate, China is grappling with a looming demographic crisis. To tackle this issue, political advisors have proposed a range of recommendations to the government.

Additionally, some colleges have devised a distinctive strategy to aid the nation's concern.

Mianyang Flying Vocational College, among nine other colleges, has introduced a unique Spring Break program that centers on the theme of romance that runs from 1 to 7 April, as per NBC.

The college aims to give students a good time away from campus and closer to nature with the spring break system. This allows students to appreciate and love nature, life, and love itself.

“I hope that students can go to see the green water and green mountains and feel the breath of spring. This will not only broaden students’ horizons and cultivate their sentiments, but also enrich and deepen the teaching content in the classroom," Liang Guohui, deputy dean of Mianyang Flying Vocational College, said in a statement.

China's Demographic Challenge

China's birth rates have been decreasing, resulting in last year's first population drop in 60 years. The decline in citizens is predicted to continue, having significant effects on both China's economy and the global community.

China's National Bureau of Statistics has announced that the country's population has decreased by approximately 850,000 people in 2022, making it the first decline since 1961. The current population now stands at 1.41175 billion.

The reason behind this decline is due to the lowest birth rate recorded in the country, which was 6.77 births per 1,000 people in 2021, as compared to the rate of 7.52 births in 2021.

UN experts predict China's population will decline by 109 million by 2050, surpassing their 2019 forecast of a triple decline.

The fertility rate in China hovered around 6.0 during the 1960s and 1970s. Therefore, the country is set to get older before it gets richer.

As per reports, the population aged 15-24 is around 72 per cent of those aged 45-54. For Japan, this percentage is 79 and for the United States it is 100. Therefore, without more children, China risks being on the wrong side of demographics a decade from now.

The booming economy has also aided the improvement in life expectancy, further complicating the fertility problem. Thus, China’s 60 and above population has increased from 10.45 per cent in 2005 to 14.7 per cent in 2013 to around 18 per cent in 2019. The older population warrants caring too, further forcing families to restrict the number of children they have.

Also Read: CCP's Latest Idea: Let's Make Education Cheaper So People Have More Kids