China's birth rate falls to lowest on record
China’s birth rate dropped to its lowest level on record last year, official data showed on Tuesday, highlighting deepening demographic challenges as the country’s population shrank for a fourth consecutive year despite policy efforts to encourage larger families.
Figures released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed that only 7.92 million babies were born nationwide, translating into a birth rate of 5.63 per 1,000 people. This is the weakest level since the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, when national population records began.
The latest decline comes after a brief and modest rebound in 2024, when births edged up to 6.77 per 1,000 people, raising hopes among policymakers that the downturn might be easing. Instead, the trend has resumed, underscoring the limits of government incentives aimed at reversing years of falling fertility.
Beijing has introduced a range of measures, including childcare subsidies, extended maternity leave, housing support and campaigns promoting marriage, as it struggles with a rapidly ageing society and a shrinking workforce. However, high living costs, expensive childcare, job insecurity and changing social attitudes continue to discourage young couples from marrying and having children. Marriage registrations have also fallen to historic lows.
The data showed China recorded 11.31 million deaths in 2025, pushing the mortality rate to 8.04 per 1,000 people. As a result, the population declined by 2.41 per 1,000, adding pressure on pension systems, healthcare services and long-term economic growth prospects.
.png "Advertisement")
