China’s population drops for third year in a row despite uptick in births

Though China’s birth rate rose this year after an all-time low in 2023, the country’s overall population continued its decline

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China’s population has been in decline for several years, with birth rates failing to outpace deaths as the society collectively ages. Photo: VCG

Published: 5:32pm, 17 Jan 2025

China’s population fell for a third consecutive year in 2024, with a modest rise in new births outnumbered by deaths as the country’s collective age continues to creep upwards and deepen the demographic crisis.

The total population dropped by 1.39 million in 2024 to 1.4083 billion, down from 1.4097 billion people in 2023, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said on Friday.

In all, 9.54 million babies were born last year, up from the 9.02 million newborns – the lowest total since record-keeping started in 1949 – reported for 2023.

Meanwhile, about 10.93 million people died, pushing the death rate to a five-decade high.

Culture had a part to play in last year’s statistics, as 2024 was the Year of the Dragon in the Chinese zodiac – an auspicious time for which some parents wait to conceive. Experts had predicted a possible rebound in birth rates due to this phenomenon, all the while cautioning such a reversal would be limited and localised.

China further loosened its family planning restrictions in 2021, allowing couples to have a third child. Analysts said the uptick in the number of newborns last year could indicate the policy change has had some effect.