Thousands of kindergartens have shut down in China, are children not enrolling in playschools?

Kindergartens (play schools) are constantly closing in China, primarily due to a decline in the birth rate. This decrease has led to fewer children enrolling in the play schools. Over the past few years, thousands of kindergartens have shut down, marking a continued trend of declining enrollment for the third consecutive year. Additionally, primary schools are also facing challenges due to a reduced student population.

According to the annual statistics from the Chinese Ministry of Education, the number of kindergartens in China declined by 14,808 in 2023, bringing the total to 274,400. Kindergarten enrollment has also dropped for the third consecutive year, with a decline of 11.55 percent, equating to approximately 53 lakh children. Primary schools are experiencing a similar trend, with a 3.8 percent decrease in enrollment in 2023.

The picture shows the declining population in China. The decreasing number of children for admission is showing widespread demographic changes in China. The declining birth rate and declining population in China is becoming a major economic and social challenge for the government. 

Population declines for the second consecutive year

China's population has declined for the second consecutive year in 2023. China's population has come down to 1.4 billion. During this period, only 90 million children were born in the country, this is the lowest number since the beginning of record keeping in 1949.

China is currently facing a double crisis. On the one hand, the birth rate in the country is declining, while on the other hand the elderly population is increasing rapidly. About 30 crore people in China will be above 60 years of age. This number will reach 40 crore by 2035 and 50 crore by 2050. This will put the burden of raising these elderly on China, while the reduction in the working population will cause a major setback at the economic level.

Why is China facing a crisis? Experts consider the decades-old one-child policy responsible for China's demographic crisis. However, this policy was abolished in 2016. The Chinese government has currently allowed up to three children. The government has also announced many facilities for having children. Despite all this, Chinese youth are shying away from having children. Therfore a big crisis is arising in front of China.