The effects of China's two-child policy will be felt in 20 years. (Photo : Getty Images)
China's one-child policy has been under criticism in the past years by various world leaders and experts. Xuefeng Chen wrote an article published in the Harvard Asia Pacific Review on the social effects of the one-child policy.
He wrote, "There are some in China who believe that the installment of the Single-Child Policy could generate discontent and anxiety for families with multiple children. Such discontent, in turn, could lead to negative consequences of the balanced status-quo."
After decades, the Chinese government scraps the one-child policy to give way to the two-child policy.
The effect of the two-child policy will not be felt right away, according to Therese Hesketh, professor of global health at University College London, who led a study on the policy's effects.
"It's something we've all been waiting for, for a long time. But the effects are only going to come through in the adult population," she said.
The study revealed that although it is a good move from the government, the effects to augment the aging population will only be seen in the next two decades.
Based on the study's computation, the new policy will bring an additional 1.45 billion people in 2029. If China retained the one-child policy, the population would only be 1.4 billion in 2023.
The country's senior citizenry is also increasing rapidly. In 2015, there is 9.5 percent of people over the age of 65.
This has brought a decrease in the number of people in the workforce.
"There were considerably more males than females in the country being born," Hesketh said. "(And) the number of elderly people is a major concern."
Experts believe that the Chinese government should start improving its pension system.
According to Robert Pozen, a senior lecturer at the MIT Sloan School of Management, "We need to push the pension system in China to rural areas. We have already, but it is modest."
