Abstract: A unique “only-child generation” phenomenon is taking place as a result of the strict family planning policy. This national policy is astonishing in terms of its large sphere of influence, strong and consistent implementation, and a long span of time. Unlike the naturally existed only-children before this policy in China and relatively few only-children in the Western countries, the present “only-child generation” is the “fruits” of this great experiment of family planning which gives birth to unprecedented number of only-children. The 1980s generation is the first “only-child generation”. The future development of China will be in the hands of the “only-child generation”. This article has conducted a comprehensive literature review of studies on the only-children in China and abroad. Moreover, we attempt to propose a feasible direction of future studies on the only-children, considering the present situation of the "only-child generation" in China.