Beijing plans to boost its domestic productivity and consumption, but a population decline that has been continuing since 2022 has Chinese officials worried.
China's population has declined for the fourth consecutive year, falling by 3.39 million to around 1.45 billion in 2025, according to China's National Bureau of Statistics.
The number of newborns has fallen by 17 percent compared to 2024. In 2024, 9.5 million babies were born. In 2025, this number was 7.9 million 20 thousand.
The number of deaths has increased compared to 2024. In 2024, 19.3 million 30 thousand died, while in 2025, 11.1 million 10 thousand died.
China was the most populous country in the world until it was overtaken by China in 2023.
The birth rate in China has fallen by 5.63 percent per 1,000 people, according to the bureau. The number of babies born in 2025 is around 1,738. While China's population was about 150 million at that time,' demographer Yi Suyan said .
China's death rate in 2025 was 8.04 per 1,000. That's the highest since 1968 .
Beijing has planned to boost its domestic productivity and consumption . But the population that has been steadily declining since 2022 has Chinese officials worried .
Despite the tariffs imposed by the United States in 2025, China achieved its original target of 5 percent economic growth . But as the aging population grows, there is also a risk that economic growth will slow .
About 23 percent of China's population is over 60 . The number of people over 60 is expected to reach 400 million by 2035 . That is, by then a large number of people will have left work and China may have to spend a lot on pensions.
China has already raised the retirement age. It has been made a rule that men must work until 63 years old (previously 60) and women until 58 years old (previously 55).
China introduced the 'one-child policy' from 1980 to 2015 to control population in the fight against poverty. Analysts say that the impact of the policy has been seen so far.
A large number of people are moving from remote areas to cities. Because raising children is expensive, they are having fewer children. According to data from 2025, the urbanization rate here is 68 percent. 20 years ago it was 43 percent.
Since population is an important aspect of the country's economic strategy, policymakers have devised a strategy to maintain its balance.
Beijing is set to spend an estimated 180 billion yuan ($25.8 billion) to boost the birth rate, Reuters reported. This includes subsidies for mothers and children.
China has one of the lowest fertility rates in the world. On average, women give birth to just one child.
