www射-国产免费一级-欧美福利-亚洲成人福利-成人一区在线观看-亚州成人

English 中文網(wǎng) 漫畫網(wǎng) 愛新聞iNews 翻譯論壇
中國(guó)網(wǎng)站品牌欄目(頻道)
當(dāng)前位置: Language Tips > Normal Speed News VOA常速

Asia experiences huge birth-rate decline

[ 2011-01-18 14:11]     字號(hào) [] [] []  
免費(fèi)訂閱30天China Daily雙語(yǔ)新聞手機(jī)報(bào):移動(dòng)用戶編輯短信CD至106580009009

Asia experiences huge birth-rate decline

Approximately 6.6 billion people populate the earth today, with an estimated 3.7 billion living in Asia. But over the past 50 years, economic and social modernization in the region has been accompanied by a remarkable drop in birth rates. Sociologists, demographers and researchers are following the trend, and new research is providing more details to explain lower birth rates.

Many complex and subtle social and economic issues affect individual choices of when, or if to have children. But overall, basic trends are prevalent. A recent study by the East-West center in Hawaii focused on four prosperous Asian societies in Japan, Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan.

Sidney Westley, a Communications Specialist in the Research Program at the East-West Center, said, "In each of these societies, fertility has dropped very steeply, (which) I think (is) surprising demographers. It has fallen faster and fallen to a lower rate than people would probably have anticipated 15 or 20 years ago."

Over the past 20 years, the United Nations says the Asia-Pacific population has been growing, but at a slower rate compared to the rest of the world. Asian fertility fell by 39 percent in a 20-year period from the late 1960s while remaining above the population-replacement level of 2.1 children per woman. By 1990, nearly two-thirds of Asian countries had experienced declines of at least 25 percent.

Minja Choe is Senior Fellow in the Research Program in the area of Population and Health. "Most women like to get married and have about two children in their lives. But a lot of times they do not feel quite ready to do it and by waiting too long, they lose the chance to have two children or they lose the chance to get married," she said.

The study found that Asian women are putting off starting a family amid gains in education, employment and living standards, combined with dramatic breakthroughs in health and family-planning technology.

Bob Retherford, Coordinator of Population and Health Studies and a Senior Fellow, says those reasons are reflected in two main areas. "One is later marriage and less marriage. And the second major category is lower fertility within marriage," he said.

He adds a social shift in Asia has also had a significant impact. "And then there is an emergence of the idea that it is ok to enjoy single life without pressure to get married. That has become socially acceptable. That is a major value change," he said.

Although dating services have gained in popularity, Minja Choe says other social factors and patterns tend to lessen pregnancy opportunities. "Families do not spend much time together. A lot of men and women socialize with their men friends and women friends, not much with each other, especially married people," she said.

In Japan, the average age of marriage has risen to 29 for women and 31 for men. Caring for elderly parents, birth control, late marriage and settling into lifestyle without kids, and rapid economic changes that affect hours and careers all affect fertility in the survey area that also includes Singapore, South Korea and Taiwan.

Minja Choe also notes perhaps one big social difference between Asian and Western nations. "In these four countries, people do not have children outside marriage. That is unlike European countries and countries like America, Australia, New Zealand, other low fertility countries," she said.

With the declining birth trend in Asia, questions arise about how to address the issue, if at all. Economics play a large role. Working women have to give up earnings as they leave employment to have children. The cost of raising children then becomes a factor, especially if mothers have a difficult challenge returning to work.

Taiwan recently unveiled a $1.3 billion package of incentives for residents to have babies, giving new mothers at least $100 per month for the first two years of their child's life.

Sidney Westley of the East-West Center says governments can intervene, but as in the United States, Asian lawmakers must be very careful in their approach to employment issues involving new mothers.

"The (US) government gives you $500 a year tax break for each child. It is nothing compared to how much you are losing. They also have got to be very careful because if they force businesses to re-hire women after they have taken time to have babies or punish them in any way, then you are hurting women's employment. Then it starts looking unattractive to employ a woman rather than a man," she said.

Significant fertility declines have also been seen in other surveys conducted in China, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam. Strong family planning programs along with low mortality and high adult female literacy correlate with increased economic development in those nations.

Bob Retherford says a balance between individual desires and overall society will at some point have to be reached. "Ideally we want what is good for individuals to be consistent with what is good for society. But that is clearly not the case here. When you are talking about a steady state decline of population of about one third, or more actually in a generation every 30 years, that cannot persist. That is not good for society," he said.

United Nations figures show several countries in East and Southeast Asia (China, Japan, North Korea, South Korea, Thailand, Singapore, Vietnam) have already dipped below-replacement fertility levels. Researches do not expect the trends to change over the next several years.

Related stories:

英1/5中年女性為事業(yè)放棄生育

研究:未來女性將更適合晚育

法國(guó)生育率歐洲第一 非婚生兒超過一半

為提高生育率 韓市政府出面操辦相親會(huì)

(來源:VOA 編輯:崔旭燕)

 
中國(guó)日?qǐng)?bào)網(wǎng)英語(yǔ)點(diǎn)津版權(quán)說明:凡注明來源為“中國(guó)日?qǐng)?bào)網(wǎng)英語(yǔ)點(diǎn)津:XXX(署名)”的原創(chuàng)作品,除與中國(guó)日?qǐng)?bào)網(wǎng)簽署英語(yǔ)點(diǎn)津內(nèi)容授權(quán)協(xié)議的網(wǎng)站外,其他任何網(wǎng)站或單位未經(jīng)允許不得非法盜鏈、轉(zhuǎn)載和使用,違者必究。如需使用,請(qǐng)與010-84883631聯(lián)系;凡本網(wǎng)注明“來源:XXX(非英語(yǔ)點(diǎn)津)”的作品,均轉(zhuǎn)載自其它媒體,目的在于傳播更多信息,其他媒體如需轉(zhuǎn)載,請(qǐng)與稿件來源方聯(lián)系,如產(chǎn)生任何問題與本網(wǎng)無關(guān);本網(wǎng)所發(fā)布的歌曲、電影片段,版權(quán)歸原作者所有,僅供學(xué)習(xí)與研究,如果侵權(quán),請(qǐng)?zhí)峁┌鏅?quán)證明,以便盡快刪除。
 

關(guān)注和訂閱

人氣排行

翻譯服務(wù)

中國(guó)日?qǐng)?bào)網(wǎng)翻譯工作室

我們提供:媒體、文化、財(cái)經(jīng)法律等專業(yè)領(lǐng)域的中英互譯服務(wù)
電話:010-84883468
郵件:translate@chinadaily.com.cn
 
 
主站蜘蛛池模板: 欧美区一区二区三 | 国产欧美日韩综合精品无毒 | 国产激情自拍 | 亚洲九九视频 | 欧美中日韩在线 | 日韩特级毛片 | 亚洲国语在线视频手机在线 | 人成午夜性刺激免费 | 久草视频免费 | 国产免费爱在线观看视频 | 日韩久久久精品首页 | 亚洲视频在线看 | 欧美成人 综合网播九公社 欧美成人26uuu欧美毛片 | 免费观看大片毛片 | 国产成人综合手机在线播放 | 成人午夜视频在线播放 | 欧美日韩性视频一区二区三区 | 国产欧美视频一区二区三区 | 我看毛片 | 亚洲精品国产一区二区图片欧美 | 黄色三级在线播放 | 国产精品免费一级在线观看 | 亚洲国产午夜精品理论片的软件 | 久久一本精品久久精品66 | 成人观看免费大片在线观看 | 天天夜夜久久 | 夜色sese| 久久免费观看国产精品 | 免费播放特黄特色毛片 | 一级毛片a免费播放王色 | 成人区精品一区二区毛片不卡 | 日本午夜三级 | 91在线精品亚洲一区二区 | mm在线精品视频 | 国产在线一区二区 | 国产午夜三级 | 日本综合欧美一区二区三区 | 国产日韩欧美自拍 | 成人免费一级毛片在线播放视频 | 国产三级全黄 | 亚洲精品国产一区二区 |