China Faces Demographic Crossroads: Birth Rates Decline Amid Urbanization

China's population continued to decline for the third consecutive year in 2024, driven by more deaths than births. The decrease highlights urbanization, the high cost of childcare, and gender discrimination as contributing factors. Concerns are growing over economic impacts and increasing elderly costs as the workforce shrinks.

China's population has decreased for the third consecutive year in 2024, with more deaths than births, according to the National Bureau of Statistics. This trend is expected to intensify, placing the world's second-largest economy in a challenging position as its workforce dwindles.

The total population fell by 1.39 million to 1.408 billion in 2024, raising concerns about rising costs for elderly care and retirement benefits. The birth rate saw a slight increase, yet remained insufficient to counteract the decline, leading experts to call for structural changes to reverse this trend.

Factors such as urbanization, high childcare expenses, job insecurity, and gender inequality are discouraging young Chinese from marriage and family life. As authorities introduce measures to combat this demographic crisis, the looming retirement-age populace poses significant economic challenges.

(With inputs from agencies.)