China's government is offering benefits for young people to start families. However many women say the country's demographic crisis won't push them to have children.
Last week, China recorded a population decline for the first time in 60 years, with long-term projections showing a continued drop over the next 30 years.
In response, the government is scrambling to roll out different measures to boost birth rates, including offering financial subsidies and other benefits to families.
However, several young Chinese told DW that they have a pessimistic outlook on the future, and this is reflected in changing attitudes towards marriage and family planning.
"Young people in China generally feel that the future is bleak and life is stressful," said Emma Li, a 25-year-old Chinese woman living in Shanghai. "Having children is a choice that will increase stress in life. Many of us have decided to become the 'last generation' in our family."
Li said the news of China's first population decline in decades has not changed her perspective on starting a family.
"I've had discussions about marriage and having children with many of my friends and a lot of them have no desire to follow the traditional route of family planning," she told DW.
"Since many young Chinese people today are highly educated, it's hard for them to be easily persuaded by notions that girls will definitely marry for love, live happy lives and have harmonious families," she added.
