China’s birthrate fell to its lowest level since 1949 last year, accelerating a population decline that has now continued for four consecutive years, official data showed.
China’s birth rate dropped to 5.63 per 1,000 people in 2025, the lowest level since national records began in 1949, according to data released by China’s National Bureau of Statistics.
The data showed mainland China’s population declined from 1.40828 billion in 2024 to 1.40489 billion in 2025, a decrease of 3.39 million. The population has now fallen for three consecutive years, after first beginning to shrink in 2022 for the first time since the early 1960s.
Births continued to fall sharply. In 2025, 7.92 million babies were born, down 16.9% from 9.54 million in 2024. The birth rate declined from 6.77 per 1,000 people to 5.63 per 1,000, setting a new record low.
Deaths increased over the same period. China recorded 11.31 million deaths in 2025, up 3.4% from 10.93 million a year earlier. The death rate rose to 8.04 per 1,000 from 7.76 per 1,000, while the natural population growth rate fell to minus 2.41 per 1,000.
China’s male population stood at 716.85 million, while the female population totalled 688.04 million.
The ageing trend continued to deepen. The working-age population aged 16 to 59 fell to 851.36 million, accounting for 60.6% of the total population. People aged 60 and above reached 323.38 million, or 23% of the population, while those aged 65 and over rose to 223.65 million, representing 15.9%.
Urbanisation also advanced. The urban population increased by 10.3 million to 953.8 million, while the rural population fell by 13.69 million to 451.09 million. Urban residents now account for 67.89% of China’s population, compared with 32.11% living in rural areas.
Analysts say the data point to a long-term demographic transition marked by rapid ageing and a shrinking workforce. Despite policy changes aimed at encouraging births, including allowing two children in 2016 and three children in 2021, birth rates have continued to decline as younger generations delay or forgo having children amid economic pressures and rising living and childcare costs.
Experts warn that sustained population decline combined with ageing is likely to weigh on China’s labour supply and economic growth in the years ahead.
U.S. forces say they have completed strikes on Iranian military sites near the Strait of Hormuz. Iran responded with missile attacks on an American b...
Türkiye and Syria plan to increase annual bilateral trade to $5 billion within the next two years, officials from both countries said on Tuesday, as ...
As global diplomatic dynamics continue to evolve, the European Union is reassessing its ability to respond effectively to major international developm...
Uzbekistan plans to create a National Geological Data Bank and expand the use of artificial intelligence (AI) across the mining sector as part of effo...
Azerbaijan is considering new restrictions on children's use of social media, including a minimum registration age of 16 and fines for platforms that ...
Chinese President Xi Jinping is wrapping up a two-day state visit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Pyongyang. It was his first trip to the country since 2019, and a visit that carries more strategic weight than its carefully choreographed ceremonies might suggest.
The United States has added some of China's biggest technology and automotive companies, including Alibaba, Baidu, BYD and Nio, to a Pentagon list of firms it believes are linked to Beijing's military.
Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Pyongyang on Monday (8 June) for a rare summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, receiving a grand welcome as he described relations between the two countries as being at a "new historical starting point".
Chinese carmakers are rapidly reshaping the global automotive market, with record exports, soaring electric vehicle sales and growing investments overseas putting pressure on established European, Japanese and U.S. rivals.
Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry says 19 citizens have been repatriated following a deadly drone attack on two cargo ships in the Sea of Azov on 5 June.
A Sudanese man has been arrested over a knife attack in Belfast that left a man seriously injured and prompted calls online for a protest after footage of the incident circulated widely on social media.
Iran and Israel said on Monday (8 June) they had halted attacks on each other following an appeal from U.S. President Donald Trump, as Axios reported that Trump had privately told Benjamin Netanyahu “be careful, or you will be on your own very soon”.
Ukraine's military said it struck a Russian "shadow fleet" tanker in the Black Sea as part of ongoing efforts to disrupt Moscow's energy and logistics networks. The move underscores Kyiv's focus on targeting maritime assets it says are used to bypass sanctions on Russian oil exports.
Armenia’s parliamentary election has strengthened Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s mandate, with analysts linking the result to his post-Garabagh agenda and pro-Western direction. However, constitutional constraints remain a key obstacle to peace efforts with Azerbaijan.
As global diplomatic dynamics continue to evolve, the European Union is reassessing its ability to respond effectively to major international developments, prompting renewed debate over defence coordination, foreign policy decision-making and institutional reform.
The FIFA World Cup 2026 is set to be one of a kind when it kicks off on 11 June, as it brings with it a slew of firsts ahead of co-hosts Mexico taking on South Africa in the opening match.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has warned that Israel’s military operations in Syria and Lebanon have escalated to a point where they could threaten Türkiye, describing Israel’s actions as “aggression” that poses a broader global risk.
More than 1,300 migrants died or went missing while attempting to reach Spain between January and May 2026, according to Spanish NGO Caminando Fronteras, highlighting the continuing dangers of one of the world's deadliest migration corridors.
Rescuers searched the rubble of a collapsed building in the southern Philippine city of General Santos on Tuesday after a powerful earthquake killed at least 37 people and injured hundreds across the country.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment