The population of China in 2024 decreased by 1.39 million people, continuing the tendency of reduction observed in the previous two years.
According to the National Statistical Bureau (NSB), the population of mainland China, which amounted to 1 billion 409 million 670 thousand in 2023, in 2024 decreased to 1 billion 408 million 280 thousand.
In 2022, the population of China first declined since the beginning of the 1960s, when the country was experiencing years of mass hunger. 2022 was the year of the beginning of a long -term reduction in the population in China.
Furiousness has increased, mortality has decreased
In 2024, 9.54 million children were born in China, which is 5.7% more compared to 9.02 million newborns in 2023.
Feedness in 2023 amounted to 6.39 per thousand, and in 2024 increased to 6.77 per thousand. Feedness last year decreased to the lowest level from the moment of beginning of official accounting in 1949.
In 2024, 10.93 million deaths were recorded, which is 1.5% less compared to 11.1 million deaths in 2023. Mortality decreased from 7.87 per thousand to 7.76 per thousand.
15.6% of the population over 65 years old
According to the distribution of the population by age groups, the “working” age category (from 16 to 59 years) is 857.98 million people, which is 60.9% of the total population, while the population over 60 is 310 , 31 million people, which is 22%.
The number of people over 65, which reached 220.23 million, amounted to 15.6% of the total population.
The urban population in 2024 increased by 10.83 million, reaching 943.50 million, while the rural population decreased by 12.22 million, amounting to 464.78 million. The share of the urban population amounted to 67%, and the rural one – 33%.
Analysts believe that China has entered the period of long -term demographic changes, during which the population will age, and the share of labor will gradually decrease.
The growth rate of the population in China has been declining since 2016, and it is expected that in the future the reduction of the population will occur at a faster pace.
After the rejection of the policy of one child, introduced in the 1980s, the Chinese government in 2016 increased the permissible number of children in the family up to two, and in 2021 I amended the law, allowing families to have three children.
Despite measures to stimulate the birth rate, economic growth slows down, and the increase in the cost of life and raising children forces new generations to doubt the need to have children.
It is expected that the reduction of the population and aging will lead to a decrease in China’s labor potential in the future, which will affect the country’s economy.