The Chinese government will allow all families to have up to two children, the state-run Xinhua news agency reported Thursday, citing a statement from the Communist Party.
The decision was announced following the end of a four-day meeting of China's ruling Communist Party, which had met this week to chart the course for the country's economic and social development over the next five years.
"To promote a balanced growth of population, China will continue to uphold the basic national policy of population control and improve its strategy on population development," Xinhua reported, citing a communique issued by the ruling Communist Party. "China will fully implement the policy of 'one couple, two children' in a proactive response to the issue of an aging population."
The one-child policy was introduced in 1979 to reduce the country's birth rate and slow the population growth rate, reported BBC News. Most citizens openly opposed the mandate at first, forcing local officials to resort to abortions, heavy fines, loss of employment and forced sterilization. It's believed that an estimated 400 million births were prevented while the policy was in full effect.
The decision comes after the government loosened restrictions on the policy in 2013, allowing couples to have two children if either of the two parents were only children, reported The Verge. Initially, the exception only applied to couples who were both only children and in certain cities.
China had little choice but to change this policy as the country faces the possible reality of becoming the home to the most elderly population on the planet in 15 years, (people over 60 already make up 13 percent of nation's population). Furthermore, some researchers say that the aging population will burden health care and social services and will continue to hamper on its economic growth, causing China to fall into the "middle income trap," which is when developing countries fail to reach their full potential, according to the AFP.
The meeting reiterated the Communist Party's goal to double 2010 GDP by 2020 as part of its aim to achieve a "moderately prosperous society" by the 100th anniversary of the Communist Party's founding.
