China ends its one-child policy

(Image credit: ChinaFotoPress/Getty Images)

China's one-child policy, which has been in effect since the late 1970s, has come to an end, according to the state-run Xinhua News Agency. Couples in China will now be allowed to have two children, not just one, a decision intended to help manage economic growth, avoid a "middle-income trap," and boost the labor pool. Intended to curb population growth, the one-child policy has been blamed for China's gender imbalance and aging workforce; the decision follows the first year in at least two decades that China's working-age population shrank.

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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.