What Are the Pros and Cons of China's One Child Policy?

The one child policy was implemented in 1979 after a decade when China's population surged, growing at a rate of 2 percent annually. While the policy did succeed in curbing population growth, and therefore supporting its rapid economic growth at 7 to 8 percent annually, there have been many negative social consequences:

• A skewing of the population in favor of male children via increased abortion rates of female fetuses and neglect of female babies
• Forced abortions and infanticide
• An aging population demographic overall.