China’s population falls for a third straight year, posing challenges for its government and economy
Associated Press5 days
China's Population Falls for Third Year
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Above: A woman holding a baby in a park in Fuyang, east China's Anhui province, on Jan. 16, 2025. Image copyright: STR/Contributor/AFP via Getty Images
The Facts
China's population decreased by 1.39M in 2024 to 1.408B people, marking the third consecutive year of decline as deaths continue to outpace births in the world's second most populous nation.
The number of newborns in 2024 reached 9.54M, showing a slight increase from 9.02M in 2023, while deaths totaled 10.93M, maintaining the negative population growth trend despite the uptick in births.
The Spin
Anti-China narrative
China's population drop, due to the one-child policy's legacy, signals economic and power decline. An aging society with fewer workers strains resources, diminishing its global clout. While it will require strong demographic maintenance on its own part, this scenario offers the West a chance to attract industries, lead innovation, and fill geopolitical leadership gaps left by the declining Chinese empire.
Pro-China narrative
Contrary to Western media portrayals of China's demographic crisis, the population changes are not as dire when accounting for China's vast size, which makes percentage declines look worse than in smaller nations. In reality, China's growth is still significant compared to many Western countries, and China is actively addressing these issues with policies like raising the retirement age and promoting technological education.
