Concerns over an ageing population and a shrinking workforce led Chinese authorities to allow all couples to have a second child from January 1, 2016. Photo: AFP Concerns over an ageing population and a shrinking workforce led Chinese authorities to allow all couples to have a second child from January 1, 2016. Photo: AFP
Concerns over an ageing population and a shrinking workforce led Chinese authorities to allow all couples to have a second child from January 1, 2016. Photo: AFP
China /  Politics

China sees 1.3 million more new babies in 2016 ... but workforce shrinks as population ages

Increase to 17.86 million newborns last year much smaller than government expected despite new two-child policy, with ‘chronic’ fall in births predicted from 2018

Topic |   China's population
Zhuang PinghuiJosh Ye
Zhuang Pinghui and Josh Ye

Updated: 8:46pm, 20 Jul, 2018

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Concerns over an ageing population and a shrinking workforce led Chinese authorities to allow all couples to have a second child from January 1, 2016. Photo: AFP Concerns over an ageing population and a shrinking workforce led Chinese authorities to allow all couples to have a second child from January 1, 2016. Photo: AFP
Concerns over an ageing population and a shrinking workforce led Chinese authorities to allow all couples to have a second child from January 1, 2016. Photo: AFP
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