A Study on the Factors Influencing the Fertility Intention of the Population in Sichuan Province, China

Abstract

In response to the increasing population and changing social environment in China, a comprehensive policy of permitting two children or three children per family has been introduced to increase the birth rate. However, despite these efforts, the birth rate has continued to decline in recent years, as evidenced by statistics from 2018 to 2021. The research aim of this survey study was to investigate and analyze the factors that impact fertility intention in Sichuan province, China. The population of Sichuan province was selected as the study sample. By reviewing existing research results, a hypothesis was proposed to determine the factors that affect the birth rate. A random sampling survey method was used, and an existing data analysis software was used to analyze the collected samples using methods, including reliability, validity, and linear regression. The analysis revealed that rearing costs, social welfare, career development, and social concepts significantly influenced fertility intention. Among these factors, career development, social beliefs, and social welfare emerged as important predictors of fertility intention with the highest value of descriptive statistics. The findings indicated that there was a significant relationship between rearing cost, social welfare, career development, social concept, and fertility intention, thus achieving the research objectives. The results could be used as a reference for the government to develop public policies aimed at improving fertility intention and provide a research foundation for future studies.