Source:
https://scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3150699/chinas-population-could-halve-within-next-45-years-new-studyScience
China’s population could halve within the next 45 years, new study warns
- Researchers say previous estimates may have severely underestimated the pace of demographic decline
- Census data says the birth rate was 1.3 children for each woman last year – well below the level needed to stop the population from falling
There are now more seniors than children in China. Photo: AP
China’s population decline may be much faster than expected, with the number of people in the country halving within the next 45 years, a new study has warned.
The projection was based on the official birth rate of 1.3 children per woman last year – well below the figure of 2 needed to keep the number stable – and forecast a much more dramatic decline than previous estimates.