Summary of the Key Points
This article focuses on the historically low birth rates in three East Asian countries (Japan, China, and South Korea) and compares them with data from European and American countries, highlighting that East Asia has the lowest birth rates globally. The author refutes the argument that young people's selfishness is the reason for this trend, pointing out that the underlying causes lie in East Asian cultural values such as parental authority, power consciousness, collectivist thinking, as well as practical pressures like educational competition, the intertwining of marriage and childbearing, and high living costs. These factors create resistance among individuals within modern society—not so much a refusal to marry or have children, but a rejection of the imposed responsibilities and loss of personal autonomy.
I. East Asian Birth Rates: Significantly Lower than in Europe and America
Data from 2025 shows that Japan has 670,000 newborns (15 years earlier than predicted) and a total fertility rate of 1.14; South Korea has 250,000 newborns and a rate of 0.8 (a four-year high, but still very low); China has around 1.09, all far below the 2.1 required to maintain population stability. Although European and American countries also have fertility rates below 2.1, France’s rate is 1.56, England’s is 1.39, and the average in Northern Europe is 1.5, compared to East Asia’s 1.03.
In simple terms: East Asians are much less willing to have children than Europeans and Americans, and the timing of this decline has even happened earlier than expected, indicating that the problem is more serious than it might seem.
II. Confucian Culture: From a Factor Promoting Fertility to an Obstacle
In the past, some argued that East Asia’s Confucian tradition, which values family and lineage continuation, would lead to higher birth rates. However, the author believes this is outdated:
- In less civilized times: The authority of elders (for example, the saying “the three greatest forms of unfilialness include having no descendants”) could encourage fertility;
- In modern times: East Asian cultural traits such as parental control over children’s lives and pseudo-morality (using phrases like “I’m doing this for your own good”) have led to individuals resisting these pressures. For example, young people do not want their parents to decide on their careers or marriage timing, nor do they wish to sacrifice their lives for the sake of continuing the family line.
In simple terms: In the past, people had children because their parents told them to; now, young people want to make their own choices, and Confucian traditions that place authority with parents conflict with this, resulting in lower birth rates.
III. Family Structures: A “Seamless” Life Plan That Deters Marriage
East Asian families prefer a strict life plan from elementary school through university, into work, marriage, and immediate childbearing, viewing this as perfect. However, this leaves little room for personal growth:
- Marriage and Childbirth Soon After: In China, children are often born within 11 months of marriage, leaving little time for a personal life, which leads many to avoid marriage altogether;
- Excessive Parental Intervention: Parents control everything from career choices to clothing, using the justification “I’m doing this for your own good” to override their children’s decisions. For instance, pursuing art is seen as unproductive, and being childfree is considered a health issue, which discourages marriage.
In simple terms: Marriage is not just about two individuals but also involves two families, and the strict planning makes it too burdensome for young people, leading them to choose not to marry.
IV. Practical Pressures: Educational Competition and High Costs
Beyond cultural factors, practical issues are even more significant:
- Educational Competition: The scramble for school places starts from kindergarten, with extra tutoring for math in elementary school and intense competition for middle and high school exams, exhausting both parents and children. Many feel they cannot afford or provide a good education for their children, leading them to choose fewer or no children;
- High Living Costs: High housing prices, expensive baby formula, and tuition fees, along with job pressures (such as the 996 work schedule) and unemployment risks, make it difficult for young people to even take care of themselves, let alone have children;
- Collectivist Thinking: East Asian society emphasizes dependency, such as the popularity of civil service exams (which offer stability and benefits), but this pursuit of security stems from fear of the unknown, also discouraging childbearing.
In simple terms: Raising a child is expensive, and with the added stress of education, many young people prefer not to have children.
V. Women’s Decision to Avoid Marriage and Childbirth: Not Selfishness, but Self-Protection and Resistance
Many believe that women who choose not to have children are selfish, but the author sees this as a misunderstanding:
- Hidden Discrimination: For example, the phenomenon of “fatherless parenting” where men do not contribute to child rearing places a heavy burden on women, both professionally and emotionally. The waiting period after divorce makes it difficult for victims of domestic violence to leave their marriages;
- Outdated Concepts: Societal notions that women are incomplete without children or that having children is their duty tie their worth to childbirth, leading some women to choose not to marry or have children.
In simple terms: Women do not want to have children because they fear losing their autonomy or facing unfair treatment; it is a form of self-protection.
Conclusion: Stop Blaming Young People for Lack of Responsibility
The author argues that those who criticize young people for being selfish often fail to demonstrate true responsibility themselves (for example, by spitting in public or being loud). True responsibility involves respecting individual choices, not forcing others to marry and have children. The low birth rates in East Asia are not the fault of the youth; rather, they are a result of cultural and practical pressures that prevent them from doing so. To solve this problem, we must change these restrictive beliefs and the high-cost environment that surrounds them.