China's population

Is there a crisis brewing in the world's most populated country?
+ FOLLOW
Register and follow to be notified the next time content from China's population is published.

China confirmed its population grew to 1.412 billion in 2020, from 1.4 billion a year earlier, according to the results of its once-in-a-decade census. But the number of new births fell for the fourth consecutive year in 2020, adding to concerns about China’s ageing population, with the demographic data set to have far-reaching social policy and economic implications.

Latest News
News
Economic Indicators
China’s female labour force participation rate – the proportion of those aged 15 and older that are economically active – declined from 61.4 per cent in 2019 to 60.5 last year, according to the World Bank. Photo: EPA-EFE
Economic Indicators
‘She-cession’ threat still real as China’s post-pandemic gender gap widens
Study finds disparity between men and women has grown in China, with researchers seeing the ‘magnitude of the ‘she-cession’, where the Covid-induced economic slowdown disproportionately impacted the female labour force.
1
Retired kindergarten teacher Ma Qiuhua, 67, takes part in a dance class with other elderly women at Mama Sunset, a learning centre for middle-aged and senior people in Beijing, on January 15. Chinese policymakers have the difficult task of trying to improve the social safety net at a time when economic growth is slowing. Photo: Reuters
China Opinion
Opinion|Why richer, older China needs changes to its social contract
Chinese policymakers need to build out rather than restrict the social safety net of pensions and healthcare for the elderly portions of the population. Looking ahead, the number of people paying taxes needs to increase in a manner that raises revenue but is fair and ideally more progressive.
Maternity services are closing around China as birth rates drop in what is being described as an “obstetrics winter”. Photo: AFP
Politics
China’s maternity services face ‘obstetrics winter’ as clinics continue to close
National Health Commission demands every county has at least one public childbirth service amid declining birth rate.
1
China’s ageing population, set to increase substantially in the coming years, will need more care services and facilities to ensure quality of life. Photo: EPA-EFE
China Economy
China doubles subsidies for child, elderly care to deal with demographic decline
To meet the needs of its ageing population, China will offer more in subsidies for new care facilities and expand existing networks to accommodate children and the elderly.
2
Illustration: Henry Wong
Politics
How will China turn economic, social fortunes around if youth ‘let it rot’?
Many younger Chinese are beleaguered by high expectations, extreme academic competition and bleak work and lifestyle prospects.
40
A falling participation rate is threatening the sustainability of China’s state medical insurance system as the country deals with the effects of a rapidly ageing population. Photo: Xinhua
Economic Indicators
Can China’s state health insurance scheme prove it’s still value for money?
China’s state health insurance system regulator plays down concerns over a fall in the number of participants in the voluntary urban and rural residents’ scheme.
1
Mainland social media has reacted with shock and anger at a woman in China who aborted her baby after her boyfriend refused to pay a mutually-agreed bride price of US$31,000. Photo: SCMP composite/Shutterstock/Weibo
Trending in China
China mother-to-be has abortion at 5 months after boyfriend dodges bride price
A divorced mother of two in China had a late-stage pregnancy termination because her boyfriend did not honour the agreed bride price, sparking outrage on mainland social media.
Children play in the schoolyard of Chongshan Primary School in Longfu township, in southern China’s Guangxi, in 2015. Photo: AFP
Comment
Opinion|Boy’s death a reminder of China’s neglect of ‘left-behind children’
Detention of three teens over the death of a third – all ‘left-behind children’ – should prompt national reflection on their neglect, first by the parents, then by the state.
3
Society
Young feminist defies Chinese government’s childbearing drive
To boost birth rates and encourage marriage, Chinese authorities have offered incentives to encourage couples to have bigger families. Photo: AFP
China Economy
China ends 9-year decline in new marriages in 2023, but divorces also climb
China registers 7.68 million newlywed couples, up 845,000 from the previous year in what analysts say is sign of post-pandemic wedding rebound.
6
A bride and bridegroom take part in a blessing ceremony in front of a traditional housing in Aoluguya Ewenki Township, Genhe City of north China’s Inner Mongolia autonomous region. Photo: Xinhua
China Economy
China’s northern gate seeks to avoid ‘hollowing out’ amid population exodus
China’s northern Inner Mongolia autonomous region, which borders Russia and Mongolia, is concerned about so-called hollowing out amid an exodus of young people impacting economic development and national security.
1
China is suffering from an acute shortage of skilled technicians, with this group accounting for 26 per cent of the total workforce, according to official statistics. Photo: Xinhua
Economic Indicators
Push to raise incomes, social standing of China’s indispensable craftsmen
‘Two sessions’ delegate urges for the standing of China’s skilled workers to be improved, with changes made to housing and education, amid a talent shortage that could hurt its hi-tech manufacturing sector.
3
A rural woman farms land in China’s Hubei province. Photo: Getty Images
Economic Indicators
China’s gender-equality failings still hold back women and economy, Beijing told
Ahead of International Women’s Day, delegates at this week’s ‘two sessions’ parliamentary gatherings call for reproductive reforms and highlight problems that remain prevalent in China’s rural areas.
4
China’s rural residents are finding greater difficulty in achieving the middle class lifestyle enjoyed by many of their city-dwelling peers. Photo: Xinhua
China Economy
Emptying villages or job-scarce cities: rural Chinese have tough row to hoe
Chinese researchers have found the country’s rural population is struggling to keep up with their urban peers in terms of lifestyle, hampered by relative underdevelopment in social resources and a lack of job prospects in cities.
2
China’s population aged over 65 stood at 216.8 million last year, representing 15.4 per cent of the population. Photo: AFP
Economic Indicators
China’s ‘silver economy’ pivotal to puzzling out population pyramid paradox
China’s demographic structure is gradually shifting towards an inverted pyramid shape as its population is greying faster, central bank adviser Cai Fang says.
China has enacted policies to arrest its sagging population figures and boost fertility rates, but few appear to have had the desired effect. Photo: Xinhua
Economic Indicators
After 2 years of population decline, what’s the way to boost China’s births?
As China’s population continues its steady decline, experts have offered several suggestions for how to arrest the slide – but nearly all agree a cautious and systematic approach carries the best chances for success.
41
A Chinese couple pictured with their newborn baby at a hospital in Heshan, south China’s Guangdong province, on February 10, the first day of the Year of the Dragon in the Chinese zodiac. Photo: Xinhua
Southeast Asia
Birth rates among Chinese falling everywhere, not just China: Malaysian official
‘The Chinese in many parts of the world … don’t have many kids,’ Malaysian Chinese Association President Dr Wee Ka Siong said. ‘You have to think twice because you have to nurture the younger generation.’
As China’s population ages, a shortage of care workers presents a challenging problem for families and policymakers. Illustration: Ka Kuen Lau
China Economy
Low social status and income: why ‘people are reluctant’ to be carers in China
China’s population is expected to age dramatically as birth rates drop and the labour force shrinks. Who will care for the elderly in a far greyer future – and what happens when carers, already on the older side, become seniors themselves?
19
A couple poses with their marriage certificate during a photo shoot on a snowy day in Beijing, China on December 11. Photo: Reuters
Politics
Chinese provinces report more marriages, with boost from Year of the Dragon
Five provinces show increase in marriage registrations in 2023 after years of declines, which some attribute to post-pandemic wedding boom and the desire to have lucky ‘dragon babies’.
5
There could be a surplus of 1.5 million primary schoolteachers and 370,000 middle schoolteachers by 2035 in China. Photo: Shutterstock
China Economy
Millions of teachers in China face losing their jobs as birth rate plunges
China faces a surplus of 1.5 million primary school teachers and 370,000 middle schoolteachers by 2035, with the number of kindergarten students falling for the first time in nearly two decades in 2021.
45
The Chinese government has been trying to stamp out the tradition of caili, or betrothal gift, to make weddings more affordable and to boost the country’s birth rate. Photo: AFP
Politics
China’s efforts to stamp out betrothal gifts may be aiming at wrong traditions
Local governments and China’s top court are both tackling marriage tradition of a groom paying the bride’s family, calling it a ‘burden’ and ‘extortion’ but women’s rights advocates say addressing gender inequalities may be effective.
7
China’s population dropped for a second year in a row in 2023, falling by 2.08 million from 2022 to 1.4097 billion. Photo: AFP
Economic Indicators
China has among the lowest retirement ages. Will population woes change that?
China’s population is expected to plunge by 20 million to 1.39 billion by 2035, according to the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), after it suffered a second consecutive annual decline in 2023.
24
There are concerns in China that the upcoming “Year of the Widow” could deter people from getting married and starting a family. Photo: Shutterstock
China Economy
Will China’s ‘Year of the Widow’ quell ‘dragon baby’ boom amid demographic woes?
Chinese are debating a superstitious belief that the coming lunar year will bode badly for marriages, and the Ministry of Civil Affairs is paying attention.
4
China confirmed its economy grew by 5.2 per cent in 2023 in January, while it also revealed its population fell to 1.4097 billion last and resumed the release of its youth jobless data. Photo: AP
China Economy
Explainer|China’s challenging start to 2024: 6 takeaways from the economy in January
China confirmed its economy grew by 5.2 per cent in 2023, revealed that its population fell to 1.4097 billion, and resumed the release of youth-jobless data, with a twist.
In this issue of the Global Impact newsletter, we break down China’s most recent economic and demographic data, and looks ahead to what 2024 might hold for the world’s second-largest economy. Photo: Reuters
Economic Indicators
Economic, demographic challenges mount for China early in 2024
In this issue of the Global Impact newsletter, we break down China’s most recent economic and demographic data, and looks ahead to what 2024 might hold for the world’s second-largest economy.
1
High youth unemployment is one of the factors contributing to a low marriage rate among men in rural China, according to University of Wisconsin demographer Yi Fuxian. Photo: Shutterstock
China
Chinese villages offer cash to matchmakers amid anxieties over ‘bachelor crisis’
Local governments across China announce incentives of up to US$140 for those who help unmarried men find wives as some policymakers worry gender imbalance and surplus of single men could affect stability and development in countryside.
7
Opinion
Opinion|China’s urbanisation efforts draw to a close for most provinces and cities
The flow of domestic migrants is increasingly moving in the direction of the Greater Bay Area, the Yangtze River Delta and a handful of local economic hubs.
SCMP ColumnistZhou Xin
1
Outside In|Time to wake up to the reality of fast declining fertility everywhere
By 2050, it’s projected only a quarter of countries will have above-replacement birth rates; by 2100 there will be just six. This will reconfigure the world economy and require societies to be reorganised.
David Dodwell
3
The View|China must plug urban-rural gap for a dignified old age for all
From pensions to medical care, China’s rural-urban divide must be urgently addressed. Or just about everyone outside the rich middle class will be left out of the silver economy.
Winston Mok
My Take|China’s demographic trends show it is potentially sleepwalking to disaster
China’s population is declining and ageing faster, requiring decisive action from authorities if the country is to avert a demographic time bomb.
SCMP ColumnistZhou Xin
37
Editorial|As China’s population falls, let us not forget there is a silver lining
With every crisis, comes opportunities; with foresight and adjustment, economic and social engines can still drive positive and sustainable growth.
SCMP Editorial
3
My Take|Can China’s elderly become a silver economic lining?
State Council rolls out national blueprint to improve life for older generations, with hopes of new investment opportunities.
Josephine Ma
1
My Take|Is China’s greying population a blessing or a curse?
Former World Bank chief economist Justin Lin says any drag on growth will be offset, while analyst Peter Zeihan says it will doom the nation.
SCMP ColumnistAlex Lo
20
Macroscope|Can India fill the void from China’s economic slowdown? Unlikely
As China’s prospects darken, a bullish narrative is growing that India could become the biggest contributor to global growth. But this might be wishful thinking, given that while India has a large and youthful population, its labour force participation rate is worryingly low.
Nicholas Spiro
18
Opinion|China’s aversion to bad news about its economy is counterproductive
Efforts to defend Beijing’s official narrative have intensified this year, as the country’s post-coronavirus economic recovery slowed amid mounting problems.
SCMP ColumnistZhou Xin
16
Opinion|Why China’s housing restrictions will share the same fate as its one-child policy
By cutting home down payments and lowering mortgage rates, China is pumping more money into an ailing sector crucial to local government revenues and national economic soundness.
SCMP ColumnistZhou Xin
3
The View|How social housing could cure what ails China’s property sector and economy
Policymakers have enacted easing measures for China’s property sector, but the impact is likely to be limited and fail to address underlying causes. Looking to the Singapore model of social housing could be the best way to get China back on track.
Winston Mok
6
Outside In|Like it or not, migrants rich and poor will shape our economic futures
Whether due to conflict, global warming or simply rich people trying to improve their lot, migration is almost certainly set to grow – and it’s likely to be the only way to replenish falling populations in the rich, developed world.
David Dodwell
2
LOADING
Unfollowed
View all