Survey: Couples resist having 2nd child

SHANGHAI, Aug. 5 (UPI) -- A Chinese survey says a majority of couples, for financial reasons, are unwilling to have a second child in a country that officially discourages the practice.

The family planning policy of China, whose population exceeds 1 billion, restricts most couples from having a second child, China Daily reported. However, a survey done by the Dongfang Daily in Shanghai said for a majority of couples the reason for not wanting a second child is financial.

The survey was done after the Shanghai city announced that if both spouses are sole children, they are eligible to have a second child, China Daily said.

Among the 829 people in the survey, 23 percent were eligible to have another child. Of those, 59 percent said they didn't want a second baby, while only 18.5 percent wanted a second one and the rest expressed hesitation, the report said.

Among those disqualified from having a second child, 51 percent said they wouldn't have another baby even if the policy allowed them to. When asked about the reason, 86 percent said the primary concern was money.

"It's not the family planning policy that makes me hesitate because my wife and I are both eligible (to have a second child). But what we are facing now is huge economic pressure," said a Shanghai IT engineer whose wife is expecting their first baby.