China's Population Control Policy

Chinas population control policy has been severely criticized by many people in the western world. That policy however was adopted with the support of many leading Chinese scholars and has been effectively implemented in China ever since its enforcement in the early 1970s. The successful implementation of the policy dramatically reduced Chinas birth rate from 43.37/1000 in 1963 to 17.70/1000 in 1994. The rate of natural increase also fell from 33.33/1000 in 1963 to 11.21/1000 in 1994. These indicators demonstrate that China has had the worlds most successful family planning program. The author explores the unique social and historical factors which have made it possible for the Chinese government to adopt and implement its oft-criticized population control policy. Overpopulation and the urgency of economic development the existence of adequate support for population control the absence of established religion the improved social status and education of women Chinas tightly organized society strong peer pressure and the existence of well-established policy-implementing organizations are discussed.