Beijing, China – The National Bureau of Statistics in Beijing announced on Monday that China recorded its lowest birth rate in modern history in 2025. This is a further indication of the worsening demographic crisis facing the world’s second-largest economy.
Shocking figures from the demographic reality
Official data revealed a sharp decline in all key population indicators during the past year:
Birth rate: It has fallen to 5.63 births per 1,000 people, the lowest level since the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949.
Total births: Only about 7.92 million babies were born in 2025, compared to 9.54 million in 2024.
Total population: The population declined for the fourth consecutive year, falling by 3.39 million people. The total population remained stable at 1.405 billion.
Incentives fail to offset the cost of living
Although China has gradually rolled back its “one-child policy” since 2016, culminating in allowing three children in 2021, these steps have failed to reverse the downward trend. Analysts attribute this reluctance to several structural factors: the rising cost of living, including soaring housing and basic necessities; educational pressures, such as the high costs of ensuring competitive education for children; and income instability, which leads young people to postpone starting a family.
The challenge of “accelerated aging” and the pension system
These figures raise serious concerns about the country’s economic future, with estimates suggesting that by 2050, the number of people aged 60 and over will reach 520 million. This demographic shift will place immense and unprecedented pressure on the pension and healthcare systems, especially given the shrinking workforce that supports them.
