China's population continues its downward trend, plummeting for a fourth consecutive year with a record-low birthrate of 17% in 2025. This decline marks the lowest number since records began in 1949, and raises concerns about the country's future demographic landscape.
According to official data from China's National Bureau of Statistics, registered births dropped to 7.92 million last year, representing a 17% decrease from the previous year and an all-time low. The population decreased by 3.39 million to reach 1.405 billion, with deaths rising to 11.31 million.
Demographers are warning that this decline in birthrate is having far-reaching consequences for China's economy, pension system, and social welfare structure. Yi Fuxian, a demographer at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, described the current birthrate as "roughly the same level as in 1738, when China's population was only about 150 million."
The government has implemented various policies to encourage people to have children, including a nationwide childcare subsidy program and expanded healthcare insurance for childbirth-related expenses. However, many young people remain skeptical about having kids due to high living costs, unemployment, and slowing economic growth.
In fact, the average cost of raising a child in China until the age of 18 is a staggering 538,000 yuan – more than six times China's GDP per capita. This has led to a cultural preference for single-child households among many adults who are now at childbearing age.
The one-child policy, which was lifted in 2017, has had a lasting impact on China's demographics. The country's population is rapidly aging, and the pool of people of childbearing age is shrinking. Demographers predict that by 2035, over 400 million people will be older than 60, straining pension budgets.
Marriages have also plummeted in recent years, with a record drop in 2024. However, policymakers are optimistic about an upcoming decision to allow couples to marry anywhere in the country, which could lead to a temporary increase in births.
Despite these efforts, China's birthrate remains alarmingly low, with a single birth for every woman – well below the replacement rate of 2.1. The government faces significant costs and challenges in trying to reverse this trend, with potential costs estimated at around $25 billion over the next decade.
As one Weibo user noted, "Given the current environment, it is a miracle that anyone is willing to have kids at all." It remains to be seen whether China's efforts will be enough to stem the tide of its declining population and mitigate the devastating consequences for its economy and society.
According to official data from China's National Bureau of Statistics, registered births dropped to 7.92 million last year, representing a 17% decrease from the previous year and an all-time low. The population decreased by 3.39 million to reach 1.405 billion, with deaths rising to 11.31 million.
Demographers are warning that this decline in birthrate is having far-reaching consequences for China's economy, pension system, and social welfare structure. Yi Fuxian, a demographer at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, described the current birthrate as "roughly the same level as in 1738, when China's population was only about 150 million."
The government has implemented various policies to encourage people to have children, including a nationwide childcare subsidy program and expanded healthcare insurance for childbirth-related expenses. However, many young people remain skeptical about having kids due to high living costs, unemployment, and slowing economic growth.
In fact, the average cost of raising a child in China until the age of 18 is a staggering 538,000 yuan – more than six times China's GDP per capita. This has led to a cultural preference for single-child households among many adults who are now at childbearing age.
The one-child policy, which was lifted in 2017, has had a lasting impact on China's demographics. The country's population is rapidly aging, and the pool of people of childbearing age is shrinking. Demographers predict that by 2035, over 400 million people will be older than 60, straining pension budgets.
Marriages have also plummeted in recent years, with a record drop in 2024. However, policymakers are optimistic about an upcoming decision to allow couples to marry anywhere in the country, which could lead to a temporary increase in births.
Despite these efforts, China's birthrate remains alarmingly low, with a single birth for every woman – well below the replacement rate of 2.1. The government faces significant costs and challenges in trying to reverse this trend, with potential costs estimated at around $25 billion over the next decade.
As one Weibo user noted, "Given the current environment, it is a miracle that anyone is willing to have kids at all." It remains to be seen whether China's efforts will be enough to stem the tide of its declining population and mitigate the devastating consequences for its economy and society.
They're basically running out of people, and it's not just because of old folks dying off, it's like... nobody wants kids anymore 
. And don't even get me started on the cost of raising a kid - 538k yuan is insane! 
How are they supposed to encourage people to have kids when it's basically a financial burden? 
What if they're just using the population decline as an excuse to control people's lives even more? 
I know it sounds far-fetched, but you never know what's really going on behind the scenes.
. Like, what if they're all being told to just go along with this whole "one-child policy" thing and not question it? 
I don't know, maybe I'm just reading too much into this... but still, something doesn't feel right 
. And the fact that the birthrate is now at its lowest level since records started in 1949 is just mind-boggling.
It's no wonder people are opting for single-child households instead.
that's like 6 times their GDP per capita! i can see why they'd be skeptical about having kids, especially with all the living costs and economic uncertainty. but at the same time, i feel bad for them cuz they're gonna face some tough times ahead... pension systems are already struggling & it's getting worse 
and btw who thought 538k was a good price for raising a kid?!? that's crazy! 
. It's like, the future is at stake or something 
. And that Weibo user was right on point - it's a miracle anyone's even willing to have kids anymore! 
plus the one-child policy has been a major factor in this demographic crisis 
but i guess policymakers are trying to do something about it 
they're loosening up the marriage rules and stuff... fingers crossed that it might help