Health officials in Sichuan province, located in southwestern China, have proposed extending marriage leave to 25 days and maternity leave to 150 days to promote a "fertility-friendly society" and help increase the country’s population. This initiative comes amid China’s ongoing efforts to address declining birth rates in the world’s second-largest economy. China’s population has decreased for the third year in a row in 2024, with experts warning the decline may continue.

The Sichuan Health Commission published the draft proposal on its website and is inviting public feedback from May 30 to June 30. With a population of 84 million, Sichuan is more populous than many countries, including Germany and the United Kingdom. If approved, marriage leave would increase by 400% from the current five days, and maternity leave would more than double from 60 days. Additionally, paternity leave would be extended from 20 to 30 days to encourage fathers to support their wives after childbirth and promote shared parenting responsibilities, officials said.

Sichuan has been considered one of China’s more progressive provinces, having allowed unmarried women access to IVF treatments and recently announcing benefits for unmarried individuals that were previously limited to married couples. China’s declining birth rates have been driven by decades of the one-child policy (1980–2015), rapid urbanization, high childcare and education costs, job insecurity, and a slowing economy — factors discouraging many young people from marrying and having children.

In 2024, the government introduced various fertility-friendly policies to address the challenge of about 300 million Chinese expected to retire over the next decade, a figure nearly equal to the entire population of the United States. Measures include encouraging universities to provide “love education” aimed at fostering positive attitudes toward marriage, love, fertility, and family.

In November, China’s State Council urged local governments to focus resources on resolving the population crisis and promote respect for marriage and childbearing at appropriate ages. Meanwhile, divorce rates continue to rise, with over 2.6 million couples filing for divorce last year, a 1.1% increase from 2.59 million in 2023.