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The latest statistical data from China indicate a historic decline in population and birth rates.
China’s population shrank last year for the first time in six decades. At the end of 2022, the most populous country in the world had 1.411 billion inhabitants, around 850,000 fewer than a year earlier, the statistics office in Beijing said on Tuesday.
China’s population has fallen for the first time since 1961 – a historic reversal that is likely to mark the beginning of a prolonged period of population decline.
The birth rate was only given as 6.77 newborns per 1000 people – this is the lowest it has been in decades. The steadily declining number fell into the single digits for the first time two years ago. The last time the population had shrunk was in 1960 and 1961 – as a result of the severe famines that followed the devastating industrialization campaign of the “Great Leap Forward”.
Demographic time bomb
With 9.56 million births and 10.41 million deaths, the population declined for the first time last year, the statistics office reported. In 2021, the number of inhabitants had increased by 450,000 people.
China has long been suffering from a sharp decline in the birth rate and an aging population. The effects of the “one child policy” that has been pursued for decades are becoming more and more noticeable. The abolition of controversial birth control, which was in effect from 1980 to 2016, led to a slight increase in births only briefly.
China’s economy grew 2.9 percent in the fourth quarter
Against the background of the chaotic corona situation in China, the country’s economy grew by 2.9 percent in the fourth quarter, according to official figures. This was announced by the statistics office in Beijing on Tuesday.
In 2022 as a whole, the second largest economy grew by 3 percent, which means that the growth target of around 5.5 percent set by the government was missed. Economists at the World Bank had recently expected growth of 2.7 percent for the year as a whole.
The Chinese economy was heavily burdened in the past year by the strict zero-corona policy and the associated lockdowns. On December 7th, the leadership in Beijing made an abrupt about-face and abolished most of the corona measures after a good three years. Since then, however, the virus has been spreading rapidly in the country, which is now also having a negative impact on economic activity.
Against the background of the chaotic corona situation in China, the country’s economy grew by 2.9 percent in the fourth quarter, according to official figures. This was announced by the statistics office in Beijing on Tuesday.
In 2022 as a whole, the second largest economy grew by 3 percent, which means that the growth target of around 5.5 percent set by the government was missed. Economists at the World Bank had recently expected growth of 2.7 percent for the year as a whole.
The Chinese economy was heavily burdened in the past year by the strict zero-corona policy and the associated lockdowns. On December 7th, the leadership in Beijing made an abrupt about-face and abolished most of the corona measures after a good three years. Since then, however, the virus has been spreading rapidly in the country, which is now also having a negative impact on economic activity.
Experts see the high costs for housing, education and health care in China as well as the dwindling willingness to marry as the real reasons for the worrying development of a demographic time bomb. The corona pandemic, which has been going on for three years, caused further uncertainties that are likely to have accelerated the trend.
No trend reversal in sight
In response to the declining birth rate and the rapid aging of the population, three children were also allowed in 2021. Since then, the government has also been trying to make it easier for young couples to care for children. The cost of education has been reduced. Financial aid has been granted, and maternity and parental leave have been made easier, as many women fear that motherhood will negatively affect their careers.
Due to aging, fewer and fewer working people in the second largest economy have to take care of more and more old people. Every fifth Chinese is already older than 60 years. At the same time, the population group in the statistically considered working age between 15 and 59 years continues to decline. (SDA/kes)