China’s birth rate shrinks to lowest on record as policies fail to convince families

A child holds on while riding on the back of a tricycle in Beijing - (AFP via Getty Images)

China is grappling with a persistent population decline, despite a decade of efforts to encourage more births following the abandonment of its stringent one-child policy.

Authorities have introduced a range of incentives, from direct cash subsidies to controversial taxes on condoms, in a bid to reverse the trend.