World population

Married couples in China are allowed to have two children, starting on January 1.

The decision to reverse the one-child policy, introduced in the 1970, was announced in October.

China officially ended its one child policy on Dec. 27 with the signing into law of a bill allowing all married couples to have a second child as it attempts to cope with an ageing population and shrinking workforce.

China will give household registration permits to its  unregistered citizens, the government said on Dec. 9, opening access to basic rights such as schooling and healthcare for about 13 million people. 

Household registration - or "hukou" - is required if a person wishes to marry, open a bank account, take out medical insurance and get access to basic education. 

China announced the end of its controversial one-child policy on Thursday. Its strict and brutal enforcement left the country with an ageing population and shrinking workforce.

All couples now will be allowed to have two children, the official Xinhua news agency reported, citing a communique issued by the ruling Communist Party.

China announced the end of its hugely controversial one-child policy on Oct. 29, with the official Xinhua news agency saying that all couples would be allowed two children.

As European countries discuss the possible impact of a refugee influx on their population, figures from Eurostat have shown these countries expect just a small increase in their population in the upcoming decades, while many countries, including Turkey, will be subject to a sharp rise before 2040. 

Bulgaria faces the bleakest demographic prospects on a global scale over the next 35 years, according to the 2015 World Population Prospects report of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA).

In the period 2015-2050, Bulgaria's population is expected to shrink by 27.9%.

New population forecasts from the UN point to a global population spurt from 7.3 billion to 9.7 billion in 2050 – 100 million more than estimated by the UN’s last report two years ago. More than half this growth comes from Africa that is set to double its population rate. In Europe, the average age will rise from 30 to 36 in 2050 and 42 in 2100.

Bulgaria is expected to have the world's highest population decline rate between 2015 and 2050, a UN report shows.

China is considering further changes to its family planning laws, Premier Li Keqiang said on March 15, after a relaxation in the "one child policy" failed to see significantly more babies being born.

The ruling Communist Party imposed strict rules in the late 1970s to limit population growth, with most urban couples restricted to a single offspring.