The goal should be to increase affordable housing for everyone, invest in a quality education system and create a family-friendly society.

Koper Prison in Slovenia sits in the centre of the community, and its environment reflects a humanistic concern for inmates. The Slovenian prison system’s emphasis on rehabilitation, education and community integration ought to inspire jurisdictions like Hong Kong.

Assumptions about net migration gains offsetting natural population decline are far from certain and ignore several pressing issues. There is no silver bullet for raising the fertility rate, but a caring, and happy living environment for all can help.

In low-income countries, where early marriage and a lack of contraception result in unwanted pregnancies, boosting awareness of and access to contraception is crucial. In high-income countries, the high cost of having children deters women. Here, family-friendly policies, in the workplace and beyond, can be helpful.

A rule change in one Chinese province to allow unmarried women to have children gives them greater choice in principle, but not in practice. It does nothing to address the more fundamental economic and social factors preventing people from having children.