China Wants Its People to Have More Children, but It Doesn’t Seem to Be Working

In 2000, the Chinese government began loosening its one-child policy: If both husband and wife were only children, the family was permitted to have a second child. In 2013, the Chinese government allowed families to have two children even if just one parent was an only child. Another three years later, the government introduced a “comprehensive two-child” policy, allowing all Chinese citizens to have two children. Soon, the Chinese government may abolish all restrictions: Chinese people will be able to have as many children as they want. In fact, the government might even start offering incentives for having more children. A number of provincial governments are already mulling such options.

Given that the overall birth rate has been in continual decline in China, the total pool of working laborers is shrinking while the number of elderly retirees is increasing. Fewer workers will have to...