China's Population Shrinks by 1.39 Million in 2024, Third Consecutive Year of Decline

Jan 17, 2025, 05:02 AM

China's population fell for the third consecutive year in 2024, with the total number of people decreasing by 1.39 million to 1.40828 billion, according to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics on Friday. This marks the first time since the founding of the People's Republic of China that the population has declined for three consecutive years. Despite a slight increase in births, deaths continued to outpace new arrivals. The country recorded 9.54 million births in 2024, an increase of 520,000 compared to 2023, partly attributed to the auspicious Year of the Dragon and the end of the Zero-Covid policy leading to a rise in marriages. The birth rate rose to 6.77 per 1,000 people, up from 6.39 in the previous year, yet births were still the second fewest since 1949. Deaths totaled 10.93 million. The proportion of the population aged 60 or above reached 22%, highlighting the nation's rapidly aging demographic. Demographers warn that this trend is expected to accelerate in the coming years, posing challenges for China's economy as the workforce shrinks and the population ages.