China population shrinks for the first time in over 60 years

New Delhi: China Tuesday announced first population decline in recent years, with 850,000 fewer people recorded at end of 2022.

China population shrinks

According to the official data released, the drop in population has been recorded for the first time in over 60 years.

The current population of China stands at 1.4118 billion.

China’s overall population plummeted by 850,000 people – to 1.4118 billion in 2022, from 1.4126 billion a year earlier, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said.

Mothers in China had 9.56 million babies last year, a 9.98 per cent drop from 10.62 million in 2021.

The national birth rate fell to a record low of 6.77 births for every 1,000 people in 2022, down from 7.52 in 2021, and marking the lowest rate since records began in 1949.

On the other hand, the national death rate was 7.37 per thousand last year, putting the national growth rate at negative 0.6 per thousand people.

China’s population includes 31 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities, as well as servicemen, but excludes foreigners. It does not include Hong Kong, Macau or Taiwan.

Men also continued to outnumber women by 722.06 million to 689.69 million, the bureau said, a result of the now-abandoned one-child policy and a traditional preference for male offspring to carry on the family name.

China has long been the world's most populous nation, but is expected to soon be overtaken by India.