China's Population Falls to 1.408 Billion in 2024, Declines by 1.39 Million for Third Year

Jan 17, 2025, 06:40 AM

China's population declined for the third consecutive year in 2024, dropping by 1.39 million to 1.408 billion, according to the National Bureau of Statistics. Despite a slight increase in the number of births to 9.54 million from 9.02 million in 2023, the birth rate rose to 6.77 per 1,000 people from 6.39 the previous year. However, with 10.93 million deaths still exceeding the number of births, the overall population continued to decrease. The decline underscores ongoing demographic challenges for China, which is grappling with an aging population and a shortage of working-age individuals. The government has implemented various measures to encourage childbirth, but the trend of population decline is expected to continue.