China's Population Policy: Theory and Methods

Prior to the founding of the People's Republic of China, China's population growth pattern was characterized by a high birth rate, a high mortality rate and a low natural growth rate.

Abstract

Prior to the founding of the People's Republic, China's population growth pattern was characterized by a high birth rate, a high mortality rate and a low natural growth rate. In 1936, for example, the birth rate was about 38 per thousand, the mortality rate was 28 per thousand, and the natural growth rate was only around 10 per thousand. In the 109 years from 1840 to 1949, China's population increased by over 130 million-from over 410 million to over 540 millionshowing an average annual net increase of 1.19 million, or an average annual growth rate of only 2.5 per thousand (see Figure 1). After new China was established, the country's population situation underwent a tremendous transformation following the rapid social and economic changes. Before the 1970s, new China's population growth had the following features: