China sees fourth year of population drop
China’s population has declined for a fourth consecutive year, recording its lowest birthrate since 1949 despite continued government efforts to encourage higher fertility.
New population data released by Chinese authorities show that the country’s population fell again in 2025, extending a trend that has persisted in recent years, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.
After decades of strict birth control policies, officials have introduced a range of measures aimed at boosting birthrates, including proposals to tax condoms and provide tax-free kindergarten education.
However, these efforts have so far failed to reverse the downward trend. China’s population stood at 1.404 billion last year, a decrease of around three million compared to 2024, marking the lowest level ever recorded.
Births also have declined, falling to 7.92 million in 2025, down from 9.54 million the previous year – the lowest number since the founding of the People’s Republic in 1949.
Once the world's most populous country, China was surpassed by India in 2023.
Like many other countries, it's now facing a declining fertility rate. According to data from the World Bank, China’s fertility rate was just 1 in 2023, far below the 2.1 considered the “replacement rate” needed to maintain a stable population.
For decades, the Chinese government enforced the so-called “one-child policy”, preventing families from having more than one baby.
After years of population declines, in 2015 the allowed number of kids was increased to two, and in 2021 it was expanded to three –yet numbers keep going down.
Aiming to stop this trend, the Chinese government has introduced several policies to support families and promote childbirth.
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