【China's Birth Rate Falls to Historic Low】

By 2025, China's birth rate has dropped to 5.6 per thousand people. Data shows that the number of newborns decreased by 1.6 million, bringing the total down to 7.9 million; at the same time, the total population also decreased by 3.4 million, falling back to 1.405 billion. This is also the largest recorded decline since the Great Famine in 1960.

Currently, the trend of population decline poses a threat to economic growth, as the shrinking labor force and aging population will put tremendous pressure on pensions and social service systems. To address this, the Beijing authorities have implemented several measures, including cash subsidies, extended parental leave, and simplified marriage registration. Specific measures include providing approximately $500 annually for each three-year-old child starting in 2025.

The reasons for the decline in population are mainly due to the decrease in the number of marriages and the reduction in the number of women of childbearing age. Since 2020, the number of women of childbearing age has decreased by 16 million — this is seen as a legacy issue left by the previous one-child policy.