China's population experienced a second consecutive year of decline in 2023, along with a new record low birthrate, according to the country's National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). The population dropped to 1.409 billion, a decrease of 2.08 million people from the previous year. The birth rate reached a historic low of 6.39 births per 1,000 people, down from 6.77 in the previous year, marking the lowest level since the founding of Communist China in 1949. The number of births in 2023 was reported at 9.02 million, compared to 9.56 million in 2022.
This decline follows China's first population decrease in decades in 2022, which was the first since the Great Chinese Famine of 1961. India surpassed China as the world's most populous country in 2023.
In addition to demographic changes, China's economy grew by 5.2% in 2023, exceeding the government target of around 5%, according to the NBS figures. The workforce in the 16 to 59 age group decreased by 10.75 million from 2022, while the number of elderly people above 60 increased by 16.93 million from the previous year. These demographic shifts pose challenges for China in terms of its labor force and aging population.
(With Agency Inputs)
