China's birthrate falls to lowest level since 1949

China’s birthrate has fallen to its lowest level since the founding of the People’s Republic in 1949, according to a report.

Official data released by the National Statistics Bureau showed births dropped to 5.6 per 1,000 people last year, with total newborns falling to 7.9 million — a sharp decline of 1.6 million and the steepest since 2020, Bloomberg reported on Monday.

The downturn pushed China’s overall population down by 3.4 million, marking the fourth straight annual fall.

The figures dealt a blow to Beijing’s push for a “fertility-friendly” society under President Xi Jinping, even as authorities roll out cash subsidies, extended parental leave, and other incentives.

China also recorded its lowest number of marriages since 1980 in 2024, with only 6.1 million couples tying the knot — a 20.5 percent drop from 2023 — while divorce rates rose by 1.1 percent.

The country’s demographic pressures deepened as low birth rates persisted, driven by fewer women of childbearing age, along with delayed marriage and parenthood among younger generations due to social and economic pressures.

Beijing has implemented policies to counter the decline in marriage and birth rates, but they have yet to show significant effects.

China's population stood at 1.4 billion in 2024, marking the third consecutive annual decline since 2021.

China economy

Meanwhile, China’s economy expanded by 5 percent in 2025, meeting the government’s annual growth target, official data showed on Monday.

According to figures released by the National Bureau of Statistics, the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) exceeded a record of 140 trillion yuan (around $20 trillion).

The world’s second-largest economy achieved growth in line with the government’s goal of about 5 percent, despite pressures from weak domestic demand, deflationary trends, a prolonged downturn in the real estate sector, and external uncertainties linked to US tariff policies.