China's Population Falls for Third Consecutive Year

China's population fell for a third consecutive year in 2024, with the number of deaths outpacing a slight increase in births, and experts cautioning that the downturn will worsen in the coming years.

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BEIJING -

The National Bureau of Statistics said on Jan. 17 that the total number of people in China dropped by 1.39 million to 1.408 billion in 2024, compared with 1.409 billion in 2023.

The data reinforces concerns that the world's second-largest economy will struggle as the number of workers and consumers declines.

Rising costs from elderly care and retirement benefits are also likely to create additional strains for already indebted local governments.

China's total number of births was 9.54 million versus 9.02 million in 2023, the statistics bureau said.

The birth rate rose to 6.77 births per 1,000 people in 2024 versus 6.39 per 1,000 people in 2023.

The number of deaths was 10.93 million in 2024, from 11.1 million in 2023.

China's birth rates have been falling for decades as a result of the one-child policy it implemented from 1980 to 2015, as well as rapid urbanization.