Most only-child couples want one child
http://www.ebigear.com mrugo15 今日英语 2007-11-09 阅读531
评论6条 [ 划词已启用 ]
本文属阅读资料，没有听力
Most only-child couples want one child
More than half of Beijing's adult single children don't intend to have two kids, even though national policy allows them to do so.
The country's family planning policy of the late 1970s restricted urban families from having more than one child to control population
growth.
However, a new survey by the Beijing Administrative Institute shows 52 percent of those now-grown-up single children, who are allowed two offspring, do not want a second child.
Many cited economic pressures as a factor.
The results were released on Sunday at the Beijing Forum, organized by Peking University.
Beijing has roughly 2 million only-child adults.
More than 1,100 people from only-child families, aging 20 to 34, were polled.
Only 24 percent of respondents said they would like to have two children.
More than a quarter of respondents would opt for a "DINK" (double income, no kids) lifestyle.
Survey figures showed that respondents with a primary education wanted 1.1 children on average, those with a bachelor degree wanted 1.3, and those with masters or higher degrees wanted 1.5 children.
"Beijing has maintained a super low birth rate - less than 1.3 children in a family in average - for nearly 20 years, posing increasing pressure on the country's aging population," Hou Yafei, a professor with the institute, said.
Hou said that the top four factors that determined people's intentions to have children were "income, child care, housing and policy conditions".
"The government should encourage couples from one-child families to have a second child and should provide better welfare services."
This would promote population sustainability, Hou said.
The survey also found that people with higher education backgrounds intend to have more children because they are more confident with their financial security.
根据我国政策，夫妻双方都是独生子女的家庭可以生育两个孩子。但北京一半以上的成年独生子女表示，即使政策允许，他们也不打算生两个孩子。
上世纪70年代末，为了控制人口增长，我国开始在城镇地区实行“一对夫妇只生一个孩子”的计划生育政策。
然而，北京行政学院开展的一项最新调查显示，52%的独生子女表示，即使政策允许，他们也不想生第二胎。
很多人称经济压力是一个主要因素。
这项调查的结果于上周日在北京大学主办的“北京论坛”上公布。
目前，北京市的成年独生子女数量约为200万。
该调查共有1100名年龄在20岁至34岁之间的“双独家庭”成员参加。
其中，仅有24%的受访者称他们想要两个孩子。
超过四分之一的受访者表示想做“丁克族”（DINK：意指“高收入，没孩子”）。
调查数据显示，初中及以下学历受访者的平均意愿生育数量为1.1个，本科学历受访者为1.3个，而硕士及以上学历受访者则为1.5个。
北京行政学院的侯亚非教授说：“北京的超低生育率已持续近20年，每户平均生育子女数不到1.3个，这使我国的人口老龄化压力日趋增大。”
侯教授说，影响人们生育意愿的四大主要因素为“收入、孩子照料、住房及政策”。
“政府应鼓励‘双独’家庭生第二胎，并应为他们提供更好的福利保障。”
侯教授说，这有利于促进人口的可持续发展。
另外，调查发现，受教育程度较高的人生育意愿更强，因为他们对自己的经济条件更有信心。
相关链接
站长信箱：ebigear@yahoo.com.cn 英语交流QQ群 捐助贫困儿童
