China on Friday announced that its population had dropped for the third consecutive year in 2024, with the number of deaths outpacing a slight increase in births, and experts warning that the trend will accelerate in the coming years.
According to Beijing’s National Bureau of Statistics, the total population in China dropped by 1.39 million to 1.408 billion in 2024, compared to 1.409 billion in 2023.
The data has sparked concerns that the world’s second-largest economy will struggle as the number of workers and consumers declines.
We reported that China, once the world’s most populous country, was overtaken by India in 2023, with Beijing seeking to boost falling birth rates through subsidies and pro-fertility propaganda.
Data showed that the decline was less sharp than the previous year when it was more than double the fall reported for 2022.
The statistics bureau said China’s total number of births was 9.54 million, compared to 9.02 million in 2023.
The bureau further revealed that the birth rate rose to 6.77 births per 1,000 people in 2024, compared to 6.39 per 1,000 people in 2023.
It added that the number of deaths was 10.93 million in 2024, down from 11.1 million in 2023.
It was gathered that China’s birth rates have been falling for decades as a result of the one-child policy the Asian country implemented from 1980 to 2015, as well as rapid urbanisation.