“The birth rate is the lowest since 1949, when the Communists came to power in China.”, — write: www.unian.ua
The birth rate is the lowest since 1949, when the Communists came to power in China.
The Chinese government is concerned that families are not ready to have many children / photo ua.depositphotos.comFor the fourth year in a row, China’s population is shrinking and aging rapidly. As Politico writes, ten years have passed since the ban on second children was lifted, but the birth rate is not increasing.
On Monday, January 19, the country’s government published statistics showing that the population of China is 1.404 billion people. This is 3 million less than in the previous year. The birth rate in 2025 is 5.63 per 1000 people. It is the lowest in the entire history of observations since 1949, when the Communist Party came to power in China.
The number of newborns in 2025 was only 7.92 million. This is 1.62 million or 17% less than the previous year. The latest birth figures show that the slight increase in 2024 was not a long-term trend. The birth rate has been declining for seven years in a row until 2023.
The Chinese government does not publish birth rate data. It was last reported in 2020 when it was 1.3. Experts estimate that it is now down to around 1. Both figures are well below the 2.1 level that would support China’s population.
“The statistics illustrate the acute demographic pressure the country is facing,” the authors write.
It is noted that most families call the costs associated with raising a child in a highly competitive society significant obstacles to having children. Now they are becoming even more acute in the context of the economic downturn, which has affected households.
The government introduces incentives to increase the birth rate. In particular, he exempted from taxes kindergartens and matchmaking services that help to select partners.
Incentives are combined with other attempts. In particular, the government began taxing condoms. China has removed contraceptives, including condoms, from its list of VAT exemptions in 2025. This means that condoms are now taxed at 13%, which came into effect on January 1.
“The drive to increase the birth rate is linked to the economy. There are currently 323 million people over 60 in China, or 23% of the total population. This number continues to grow, while the working-age population is shrinking, which means there are fewer workers to support the aging population,” the paper added.
Birth control in ChinaFor a long time, China was the most populous country in the world. But in 2023, it was overtaken by India.
For decades, the Chinese government banned people from having more than one child and often punished those who did. This policy has resulted in more than two generations of only children. In 2015, the government increased the number of children allowed to two and then, facing demographic pressure, revised the limit to three again in 2021.
Falling birth rates in the worldWe will remind that many developed countries of the world are experiencing a demographic crisis. Moreover, even countries with generous benefits and a stable social system fail to achieve a baby boom. In particular, the US has already begun to pay $1,000 for the birth of a child. But experts say that the experience of Europeans has shown that such methods do not work.
Let’s add that only until 1960, most European countries maintained a birth rate above 2.1 children per woman, which is necessary to maintain the population. Then the decline began. And now no EU country exceeds the figure of 1.9.
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