A child holds family planning service card. IC/Han Yuhong

Data from the National Bureau of Statistics shows that China's working-age population decreased by another 3.71 million last year, which means it has declined for three successive years. At the same time, the national gender ratio, or the number of males to that of females, is as high as 1.16. Comments:

It is the low birth rate that caused the continuous fall in the working-age population. If the trend continues, China will face a serious shortage of labor and an aging society, and its economy will lose its vitality. The State has taken the first step towards adjusting the family planning policy and we expect further reform to prevent the situation worsening.

Yi Fuxian, a researcher on demographic policy at the University of Wisconsin, Jan 24

It was the mistake of past policy, which aimed at "controlling the size of population", that has distorted China's demographic structure. It is necessary to totally reform the family planning policy, and consider the possibility of citizens freely giving birth, so as to prevent the negative trend in the country's demographic structure from continuing.

Beijing News, Jan 21

Months after the State loosened family planning policy by allowing more couples to have a second child; fewer than expected couples have applied. From our study of Yunnan province, increasingly more couples are reluctant to give birth to a child, and the root problem is the high cost of education, healthcare and other costs. Even if the family planning policy gets further adjusted the trend will hardly change; the State needs to take more measures to encourage couples to have more children.

Zhao Yunzhong, a member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference Yunnan Committee, Jan 25