BEIJING, Oct 27 — In a significant sign of China’s declining birthrate, the number of kindergartens fell by over 5 per cent in 2023, according to the country’s Ministry of Education, as reported by South China Morning Post.
The total decreased by 14,808 to 274,400, marking the second consecutive annual decline.
At the same time, kindergarten enrolment dropped for the third year in a row, with an 11.55 per cent decrease — equating to 5.35 million children — bringing the total to 40.9 million.
The report also revealed a reduction in primary schools, which fell by 5,645 to 143,500, reflecting a broader demographic shift as both birth rates and the overall population decline in China.
Last year, the population dropped for the second consecutive year, falling to 1.4 billion — a decline of over two million — with only nine million births, the lowest since 1949, it added.
China’s fertility rate, a critical metric, was calculated at 1.09 in 2022, with estimates suggesting it fell below 1.0 last year.
In Shanghai, the total fertility rate plummeted to 0.6.
This demographic change poses a serious threat to future economic growth, which is already stagnating.
Amid these trends, more kindergartens are being repurposed as care centres for the elderly, with many staff members transitioning to elder care roles.
Families are increasingly reluctant to have more children, citing high housing and child-rearing costs, intense competition for educational opportunities, and uncertainties in the economy and politics.
A survey in Ningbo revealed that nearly half of single, childless women preferred to have only one child, while over a third did not wish to have any children at all.
Additionally, 56 per cent viewed marriage as optional, and about 6 per cent felt no need to marry.
