China’s Population Drops For Fourth Year In A Row As Birth Rate Falls 17% To Record Low

Last Updated:January 19, 2026, 23:10 IST

China's population fell by 3.39 million in 2025 to 1.405 billion as births hit a record low, despite incentives. Over-60s now make up 23%, with rapid ageing and rising death rates.

China’s death rate of 8.04 for every 1,000 members of the population in 2025 was the highest since 1968. (Image: AP)

China’s population dropped for the fourth consecutive year in 2025 as the birth rate fell to another record low despite policies introduced to encourage people have children.

According to The Guardian, registered births dropped to 7.92 million in 2025 – or 5.63 for every 1,000 members of the population – down 17% from 9.54 million in 2024, and the lowest since records began in 1949.

China’s Bureau of Statistics (NBS) stated that the population dropped by 3.39 million to 1.405 billion and deaths rose to 11.31 million from 10.93 million in 2024.

According to BBC, China has one of the lowest fertility rates in the world, at around one birth per woman, below the replacement rate of 2.1. Other economies in the region, such as South Korea, Singapore and Taiwan, have similarly low fertility rates.

The Guardian quoted Yi Fuxian, a demographer at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, saying births in 2025 were “roughly the same level as in 1738, when China’s population was only about 150 million".

To counter the ageing population and sluggish economy, the Chinese government had been bringing in policies to encourage more young people to marry and have children.

In 2016, the government scrapped its age-long one-child policy replaced it with a two-child limit. However, when this did not increase the population the authorities announced that they would allow up to three children per couple in 2021.

According to BBC, the government recently announced the scheme to offer parents 3,600 yuan (Rs 46,945) per each of their children under the age of three. Some provinces also introduced their own baby bonuses, including additional payouts and extended maternity leave.

However, some incentives have sparked controversy such as 13% tax on contraceptives.

Meanwhile, China’s death rate of 8.04 for every 1,000 members of the population in 2025 was the highest since 1968. Since 2022, the population has been shrinking while there has been a rapid increase in ageing population.

According to NBS, over-60s account for about 23% of the total population. By 2035, the number of people older than 60 is predicted to reach 400 million – roughly equal to the populations of the US and Italy combined – meaning hundreds of millions of people are likely to leave the workforce at a time when pension budgets are already stretched, The Guardian reported.

News world China’s Population Drops For Fourth Year In A Row As Birth Rate Falls 17% To Record Low

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