Chinaʼs birth rate has fallen to its lowest level since the founding of the Peopleʼs Republic of China in 1949

Despite massive government efforts to encourage births, Chinaʼs population has been shrinking for the fourth consecutive year, with the birth rate reaching its lowest level since 1949.

The New York Times writes about this.

In 2025, the country had 7.92 million births, down from 9.54 million in 2024. The death toll continues to rise, with 11.31 million people dying last year. The birth rate per thousand people has fallen to 5.63, the lowest in Chinese history.

These data demonstrate a serious demographic crisis: the population is not only shrinking, but also aging rapidly. Fewer children for the country means fewer future workers to support a huge group of retirees, writes the NYT.

Chinese leaders, including Xi Jinping, are actively trying to change the demographic situation. He has proclaimed the formation of a "new culture of marriage and fertility", calling on officials to influence young people on issues of love, marriage and family.

At the local level, officials are resorting to various measures to stimulate fertility: from monitoring womenʼs menstrual cycles to issuing recommendations restricting abortions that are not medically necessary.

Demographers warn that the birth rate is already so low that it will be extremely difficult to stop the population decline. The situation poses serious challenges for the economy, social sphere and pension system.

Experts also note that China is at a point where even radical measures to stimulate the birth rate are unlikely to quickly change the situation. A prolonged decline in birth rates could have consequences for the entire world, as China remains one of the worldʼs largest labor centers.

The Chinese government has previously introduced benefits for families, including financial support for young parents, expanded maternity leave, and programs to encourage the birth of a second child.

However, recent data show that these measures have not had the desired effect, and cultural and economic factors remain the main obstacles to increasing the birth rate. At the same time, the countryʼs economic indicators for 2025 increased by 5%.

Birth rate in China

Chinaʼs birth rate has been falling for decades, in part because of the "one-child policy" that was in place from 1980 to 2015. Couples were then not allowed to have more than one child. Violators were fined, fired from their jobs, or forced to have abortions.

As a result, within a few decades the nation began to age — there were significantly fewer young people, and there were not enough people of working age. Therefore, in 2016, the authorities allowed Chinese people to have up to two children. This slightly increased the birth rate, but within a few years it began to fall again.

To avoid an aging nation, China in 2021 restricted abortions performed for “non-medical purposes”. And in March 2023, nine vocational colleges in China gave students a week off to find love.

As of January 1, 2026, China has abolished the 30-year tax exemption on contraceptive drugs and products — this is how the country seeks to stimulate the birth rate.

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