A nurse at the People’s Hospital in Huaibei, East China’s Anhui Province, screens a newborn for hearing. File Photo: VCG

Chinese couples no longer want to have a second child since being granted the right to have two children in 2016, said a former chief economist with the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), sparking widespread discussion on Chinese social media on Thursday. 

When the country adjusted the policy, many were expecting a birth explosion, but couples have instead chosen not to have a second child, said the former NBS chief economist Yao Jingyuan, according to China News Service.

The total population of China's younger demographic has dropped 100 million in 30 years. Meanwhile, the country's newborn population declined 2 million in 2018, compared with 2017, but the number of people above 60 has increased by over 8 million, Yao said. 

Yao explained that rising labor costs have made previous growth patterns unsustainable, thus the only way for China's economy to grow is through high-quality development. 

A video featuring Yao discussing the choices made by married couples on whether or not to have a second child was trending on Chinese social media on Thursday, and many agreed with Yao and said they couldn't afford a second child. 

"Chinese couples do not dare have a second child as they were not allowed in the past, now they still dare not to as they cannot afford to raise a second child considering the soaring costs in education and sky-high property price," said one Weibo user, which has since received many likes.