China’s population declines for second year in a row

China’s population is declining for the second year in a row. In accordance with BBC Newsin 2023 there were 1,409.67 million people, which is 208 million less than in 2022.

This is a reduction in half compared to last year’s decline. In 2022, China recorded its first population decline in 60 years.

A BBC News points to what experts say is an expected drop due to the expansion of the city’s class and birth rate, which has fallen to 6.39 per 1,000 residents.

The country has faced declining fertility in recent years following the introduction of the one-child policy in 1980, designed to control population growth at the time.

However, the law was suspended in 2015 to prevent population decline. The government has also introduced several incentives such as subsidies for starting a family. In 2021, the government limit has been increased to three children.

In accordance with BBC Newsincentives have not had the expected impact as young people face factors such as the cost of living and choose to prioritize their professional careers.

Experts say the pandemic has had an impact on the decline in birth rates, but economic issues are a more pressing factor.

“It’s not surprising. They (China) have one of the lowest birth rates in the world, and that’s what’s happening: the population stops growing and starts shrinking,” he said. BBC News Professor Stuart Gitel-Basten from Kong University of Science and Technology.

In 2023, economic problems began to worsen, with the country facing a housing crisis and youth unemployment, which stood at 14.1% in December.

The country continues to face pressure on its health care and pension systems as its population increasingly ages.

Still, experts say China has the time and resources to recover from population decline.