China admits 24m men to remain bachelors
More than 24 million Chinese men of marriageable age in a decade may never find a bride because births of boys so far outnumber those of girls.
A new report by China’s top think tank describes the gender imbalance among newborns as the most serious demographic problem in the world’s most populous country. The report does not try to hide that the preference for boys is a consequence of the strict “one couple, one child” family planning policy intended to curb rampant population growth.
The surplus of men, which will result in an army of bachelors — known as “bare branches” — in China’s poorest rural areas, has been described by senior officials as a grave problem that could lead to a surge in crime and stoke social instability — the greatest fear for the ruling Communist Party.
With the “one child” policy still in place despite certain relaxations in many areas, China’s men face a bride shortage for many years beyond 2020.
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Philanthropist Says:
That’s a sizeable army of young men with nothing to lose, China will become a violent place.
Posted on January 12th, 2010 at 1:36 am
MaryT Says:
Wonder if they will change their one child policy.
Posted on January 12th, 2010 at 3:19 am