But a place in a private kindergarten can cost between 5,000 and 20,000 yuan per month (between 685 and 2,700 euros) in Beijing, according to the Asia Society Policy Institute. Many young urbanites also live far from their families, in other provinces, which often does not allow grandparents to help the couple take care of the grandchildren.
Parents often focus their attention on one child to maximize their chances of success in a competitive society.
A phenomenon that has contributed to the drop in births, according to Nancy (not her real name), a young mother in her thirties who works in e-commerce in Beijing. “If you leave work at 5 p.m. to take care of your child, you may be given less work and your colleagues may pass you by” in terms of opportunities, she points out. Many couples rely on their family members to get by.
For demographers, if the State wants to boost births, it must further support young parents and help reduce the cost of raising children. Because for many Chinese, the pressure is just too much.
