China is to end its controversial one-child policy of population control, the state-run Xinhua news agency reports.
Under revised rules outlined in a statement by the Communist Party, Chinese couples will now be able to have two children.
Since the rule was introduced in 1979, it is estimated to have reduced the number of births by 400 million, with couples who had two or more children facing fines, loss of employment, and forced abortions.
However, the one-child policy had been relaxed in some provinces in recent years in response to concerns that China was being left with an ageing population with a gender imbalance due to a high rate of female infanticide.
Two years ago, the Communist Party relaxed the laws, allowing couples where one or more parent is an only child to have a second child.
Despite the relaxation of the rules to allow all couples to have two children, the resulting birth rate will remain below the replacement rate needed to maintain a stable population, and China’s society will continue to age, albeit at a slower rate.
