China is facing huge challenges with its new births in decline and a quarter of the population expected to be aged over 60 by 2030. Photo: AFP

China’s ageing population problem worsens as birth and marriage rates fall

Demographer puts lower birth rate down to a drop in the number of women at childbearing age

Topic | Ageing society

Minnie Chan and Zhuang Pinghui in Beijing

Published: 8:03am, 16 Jul, 2018

Updated: 10:29am, 3 May, 2019

China is facing huge challenges with its new births in decline and a quarter of the population expected to be aged over 60 by 2030. Photo: AFP

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Minnie Chan

Minnie Chan is an award-winning journalist, specialising in reporting on defence and diplomacy in China. Her coverage of the US EP-3 spy plane crash with a PLA J-8 in 2001 near the South China Sea opened her door to the military world. Since then, she has had several scoops relating to China's military development. She has been at the Post since 2005 and has a master's in international public affairs from The University of Hong Kong.

Zhuang Pinghui

Based in Beijing, Zhuang Pinghui joined the Post in 2004 to report on China. She covers a range of issues including policy, healthcare, culture and society.