even as China strives to boost its flagging birth rate. A decade since China scrapped its stringent one-child policy and implemented a two-child policy in January 2016, the nation is dealing with a looming demographic crisis. The country's population has shrunk for three straight years, with the United Nations predicting it could fall from 1.4 billion today to 633 million by 2100. There were just 9.54 million births in China in 2024 -- half the number than in 2016 -- and concerns about the shrinking and ageing population have been growing as couples choose to buck traditional Chinese norms. More young people like Grace, who refers to herself and her husband as DINKs -- or "dual income no kids" -- have either sworn against having children at all or are putting it off for the next few years.

These couples' reasons run the gamut from high child-rearing costs to career concerns. Grace, who asked to be identified by her English name over fears of repercussions, said she needed to have a decent income and "some savings" before starting a family. Without these conditions, "I wouldn't even consider having kids", the content creator added. The term "DINK" has gone viral on Chinese social media, including Xiaohongshu, where its hashtag has received more than 731 million views, sparking differing views on the subject. "If I were to widely publicise the fact that I'm a DINK and talk about how comfortable my life is, there would definitely be many people who wouldn't be happy about it," Grace told AFP. (Bssnews)