Chinese province ends ban on unmarried people having children

People choosing spring festival decorations in Chengdu, Sichuan, earlier this month. The province ranks seventh in terms of population older than 60 – more than 21%. Photograph: Rex/Shutterstock

A Chinese province of more than 80 million people will lift restrictions on unmarried people having children and remove caps on the number of babies as part of a national drive to increase the country’s birth rate.

Sichuan’s health commission announced on Monday it would allow all people to register births with the provincial government from 15 February. It will also remove limits on the number of birth registrations for any parent.