Two-child policy

Two-child policy is a government-imposed limit of two children allowed per family or the payment of government subsidies only to the first two children. It has previously been used in several countries including Iran, Singapore, and Vietnam. In China, the policy was enacted to prevent the rapid population growth that was seen in the preceding decades.

History

The two-child policy was first introduced by the Vietnamese government in 1960s to reduce the rate of population growth. However, it was not strictly enforced until the late 1980s.

In China, the policy was introduced in 1979, to alleviate social, economic, and environmental problems in China. However, the policy was changed in 2015 to a two-child policy due to population aging.

Implementation

The implementation of the two-child policy varies from country to country. In some countries, the policy is enforced through the provision of social benefits only for the first two children in a family. In others, additional children may lead to fines or penalties.

Criticism

The two-child policy has been criticized for a number of reasons. Critics argue that it infringes on individuals' rights to determine the size of their own families. In addition, it has been suggested that it may lead to an increase in the number of sex-selective abortions and infanticide.

See also

• One-child policy
• Population control
• Family planning
• Birth control