Work, care, gender norms, and fertility intentions among working women in China: a systematic review of quantitative evidence, 2016–2025

Since China implemented the universal two-child policy in 2016 and the three-child policy in 2021, fertility restrictions have been significantly relaxed, but fertility intentions among working women have remained low. This systematic review examines quantitative empirical studies on fertility intentions among working women in mainland China published between 2016 and 2025. Following PRISMA 2020 guidelines, the review searched CNKI, Web of Science, Scopus, and PubMed. The initial search identified 839 records. After screening and methodological quality appraisal, 49 studies were included in the final synthesis. The synthesis identified six interrelated determinant domains: economic constraints and opportunity costs; employment conditions and workplace support; work–family conflict and psychological mechanisms; family support and care arrangements; gender norms and identity; and macro-institutional and contextual conditions. The evidence links fertility intentions among working women to a combination of economic, employment, family, gender, and institutional conditions. The findings point to the relevance of coordinated policy attention to childcare provision, employment protection, workplace support, and the distribution of childbearing and caregiving responsibilities across the state, employers, families, women, and men.