2025 was a heavy signal on the demographic front for China: the country's birth rate fell to an absolute historical minimum. According to the State Statistics Office of the PRC, the population has declined for the fourth consecutive year, reaching 1 billion 404 million people. That is, even in a huge country, the population doesn't increase "by itself" - demography, like economics, loves calculations.
Official figures are as follows: during 2025, 7.92 million babies were born in China, and 11.31 million people died. As a result, the country's population decreased by 3.39 million people within a year. In other words, the difference between births and deaths shifted to the negative side, and the overall dynamics continued in a "reduction" mode.
The figures also clearly show how serious the situation is: births per thousand people were 5.63, and deaths per thousand people - 8.04. According to CNN, by the end of 2025, this result was recorded as the lowest birth rate in Chinese history. Previously, the record low was in 2023 - 6.39 births per thousand people. It is said that there was a short-term growth in 2024, but new data shows that it was an exception, not a stable trend.
According to experts, the decline is not a "mood" that appeared in one day: since 2016, the birth rate has been steadily declining. Despite the introduction of incentive measures by the state - tax benefits, subsidies for families with children, social support programs - it is still difficult to quickly stop the demographic crisis. Because this problem is related not only to money, but also to factors such as lifestyle, work-life balance, housing costs, education and childcare expenses.
According to CNN, the consequences of the decades-long "one family - one child" policy are difficult to overcome in a short time. Experts are concerned about accelerating population aging, reducing labor resources, and increasing negative pressure on economic growth rates. Demography is not just a question of how many children were born; it also affects future labor force, market size, social spending, and overall state stability.
One thing is clear: for China in the coming years, demographic policy will become a central agenda, not an "additional item." If incentive mechanisms can create real ease in people's lives - that is, make raising children and starting a family a natural choice that is not difficult - then it will be possible to slow down the trend. For now, the numbers are not just words: they are a harsh but very clear warning of the future.
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