China's population is declining for a third consecutive year in 2024. The number of deaths is outpacing the increase in births, and experts warn the decline will worsen in the coming years.
The National Bureau of Statistics reported that China's total population declined by 1.39 million in 2024. Today it numbers 1.408 billion people.
The figures reinforce fears that the world's second-largest economy will face difficulties in the coming years as workers and consumers decline. The rising cost of elderly care and pension benefits will also put further strain on already indebted local authorities.
The fertility rate rises to 6.77 births per 1,000 people in 2024 against 6.39 per 1,000 people in 2023. The number of deaths, however, is up in 2024 from 11.1 million in 2023.
China's fertility rate has been declining for decades as a result of the one-child policy China implemented from 1980 to 2015 and rapid urbanization.
Like neighboring Japan and South Korea, large numbers of Chinese have moved from villages to cities, where supporting an entire family is much more expensive.
The high cost of childcare and education, as well as job insecurity and a slowing economy, have also discouraged many young Chinese from marrying and raising generations. | BGNES, AFP
