China Says It Will Allow Couples to Have 3 Children, Up From 2

The move is the Communist Party’s latest attempt to reverse declining birthrates as a demographic crisis looms.

China’s ruling Communist Party said on Monday that it would allow all couples to have three children, ending a two-child policy that has failed to boost the country’s declining birthrates or address an impending demographic crisis. The move reflected concerns that the rapidly rising number of older people in China could exacerbate a shortage of workers and strain the economy in the near future. The party made the announcement after a meeting by the Politburo, its top decision-making body. It said the decision would “help improve our country’s population structure and help implement a national strategy to actively respond to the aging population.”