On May 31, China announced that married couples would be allowed to have up to three children, raising the official two-child limit in a widely anticipated move. The one-child policy, in place for 36 years until 2016, left China with a demographic time bomb: declining birthrates and an ageing population. Although Beijing officially recorded population growth in 2020, a Financial Times report suggests the original census figures showed a decline. Despite government hopes, the introduction of the two-child policy in 2016 failed to produce a baby boom. It’s unlikely the latest policy change will affect China’s fertility rate.