According to Reuters, China’s population has shrunk for the second year in a row, indicating a dramatic change in the country’s demographics that will have a lasting impact on its economic future.
In 2023, there will be 1.409 billion people on Earth, a decrease of 2.08 million, or 0.15%, according to the National Bureau of Statistics. This decrease comes after a record-low birth rate and a spike in COVID-19 fatalities after the tight lockdowns were lifted.
The number of deaths increased 6.6% overall due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with 11.1 million being the largest since 1974. 9.02 million babies were born, a 5.7% decrease from the previous year, and a record-low birth rate of 6.39 per 1,000 people.
China’s birth rate has been declining for many years as a result of the country’s fast urbanization and the one-child policy (1980–2015).
