Chinese authorities have decided to allow families to have three children, Xinhua News Agency reported.

It is not yet known when the measure will enter into force.

Since the mid-1970s, China has pursued a tough policy of limiting the birth rate. With a few exceptions, families were only allowed to have one child.

Several years ago in China, it was allowed to have a second child for families where both parents are the only children, as well as for couples living in rural areas if their first child is a girl. In 2013, Chinese lawmakers allowed married couples to have two children, where at least one of the spouses is the only child of their parents. On January 1, 2016, a law came into force allowing all Chinese families to have two children.

At the end of 2020, the population of China was 1.41 billion people.