Second-Child Fertility Intentions Among Urban Women in Beijing Under the Two-Child Policy

Abstract

Since the implementation of China’s two-child policy in 2015, national efforts to raise fertility rates have met with limited success in urban areas, particularly among highly educated women in cities like Beijing. This paper explores the underlying factors influencing second-child fertility intentions among urban women, focusing on the socio-economic, cultural, and institutional dynamics that shape reproductive decision-making. Drawing on recent demographic data, policy analysis, and qualitative research, the study reveals a persistent gap between state-led pronatalist ambitions and the lived realities of urban women. Economic pressures, workplace discrimination, unequal domestic labor burdens, and emotional burnout serve as key deterrents. Moreover, the absence of structural support systems—such as affordable childcare, flexible work arrangements, and paternal leave—amplifies the cost of motherhood, making second childbirth a perceived risk rather than a rational choice. The paper argues for a shift from fertility-targeted policies to a framework of reproductive autonomy, in which social equity, gender-sensitive reforms, and the voices of women are placed at the center of population policymaking.