China Records a Drop in Population for the First Time in 6 Decades

For the first time after 60 years, the population in China has shrunk, according to a report.

Population in China Drops in 2022

China has the world's largest population at 1.426 billion, according to Pew Research Center. India is close behind with 1.417 billion. The outlet noted that India is expected to claim the title next year, and it is likely to happen after China's population dropped last year.

The next five most populated countries are the United States, Indonesia, Pakistan, Nigeria, and Brazil.

The population density in China is so high. Its population is greater than the entire population of Europe (744 million) or the Americas (1.04 billion). It is roughly equivalent to all nations in Africa (1.427).

The population in China in 2022 was 1.4118. billion, it fell by 850,000 from 2021, BBC reported. The birth rate in the country has been declining for years, and the government prompts a slew of policies to slow the trend.

The country has already scrapped the one-child policy. However, it reportedly entered the "era of negative population growth."

The birth rate in 2022 was down by 7.52 compared to 2021, according to China's National Bureau of Statistics released Tuesday.

The deaths also outnumbered the births for the first last year in China. The country recorded the highest death rate since 1976 - 7.37 deaths per 1,000 people, which was higher than the 7.18 rate in the previous year.

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China's Shrinking Population is Expected to Continue

According to a once-a-decade census announced in 2021, China's population is growing at its slowest pace in decades. The populations, not just in China but also in other East Asian countries like Japan and South Korea, are shrinking and aging.

Yue Su, the principal economist at the Economist Intelligence Unit, said the trend is going to continue, and it will probably worsen after COVID. Su is among the experts who predict that China's population will continue to shrink through 2023.

She added that the rate of high youth unemployment and weaknesses in income expectations could delay marriage and childbirth plans, which could drag down the number of newborns.

Also, the death rate in 2023 is likely to rise due to COVID infections. The country has experienced a surge of cases after abandoning its zero-COVID policy last month.

China Will Improve Population Development Strategy

The demographic crisis in China is expected to impact its growth in the coming years. The country has already acknowledged this and scrapped the one-child policy after noticing that it contributed to the aging and shrinking workforce population, which could impact its economic and social stability.

Xi Jinping, the President of China, pledged to "improve the population development strategy" to ease economic pressure on families in his key speech at the start of China's five-yearly Party Congress in October, CNN Business reported.

He said they would establish policy systems that would boost birth rates and reduce the cost of pregnancy and childbirth, as well as child-rearing and schooling.

The Chinese leader also said they would pursue a proactive national strategy to combat population aging. They will also develop care programs and services for the elderly.