Once considered the world’s most populous nation before being surpassed by India, China is now facing a population decline for the second consecutive year. According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the country’s once-burgeoning population of 1,409.67 million has decreased by 2.08 million in 2023, reflecting a combination of factors such as a low birth rate and the impact of COVID-19.
China’s population had seen consistent growth for decades until the first recorded drop in 2022, marking the first decline since 1960, with a reduction of 850,000 people. However, the decline in 2023 was more pronounced, as reported by Reuters.
“In 2023, the number of births was 9.02 million with a birth rate of 6.39 per thousand,” a decrease from the 9.56 million births recorded in 2022, as stated by the Bureau of Statistics.
During the nationwide surge of Covid-19 in the previous year, total deaths rose by 6.6% to 11.1 million, reaching the highest level since 1974, during the Cultural Revolution. New births experienced a 5.7% decline to 9.02 million, and the birth rate hit a record low of 6.39 births per 1,000 people, down from 6.77 births in 2022, according to official data.
The decline in birth rates in China has been a prolonged trend, primarily a consequence of the ‘one-child policy’ implemented from 1980 to 2015. In an attempt to address the demographic decline and ageing population resulting from this policy, the Chinese government abandoned it in 2016 and permitted couples to have up to three children in 2021. Subsequently, measures were introduced to encourage higher birth rates, including subsidies and pro-fertility initiatives. Despite these efforts, the challenge of reversing the declining birth rates persists.
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