China’s population grew very slowly again in 2021. The number of residents grew by just 480,000 people in the past year, reports the Beijing Bureau of Statistics. The total population is now 1.4126 billion. According to official figures, births fell again drastically by 11.5 percent to 10.62 million. As a result, the birth rate in the most populous country also slipped further. It was 7.52 newborns per 1,000 people – the lowest since at least 1978.
The lifting of the one-child policy led to only a slight increase in births in 2016. But since then, the number has continued to fall every year. The statistical office named the corona pandemic as one of the reasons for the renewed decline in births. But women’s habits have also changed. Experts have long pointed to the high costs of housing, education and healthcare, and the dwindling willingness to marry.
As a reaction to the declining birth rate and the rapid aging of the population, three children per family were allowed in May last year. The government is also trying to make it easier for young couples to have children. It lowered the cost of education, provided financial aid, and made it easier to take maternity or parental leave.
aging is exacerbated
Due to declining births and relatively stable deaths, China is moving towards zero population growth, according to experts, which is then likely to shrink in a few years. Society is also aging rapidly.
Fewer and fewer employed people have to take care of more and more old people in the second largest economy. Professor Song Jian from Beijing People’s University told the newspaper sixth tone said last year: “While the young population is expected to shrink even faster, the problem of aging will worsen, which will harm economic and social development.”