For the first time since 1961, China's population is declining, which could have a significant impact on her economy and foreign policy going forward.
Photo via CNN
According to Bloomberg, China's National Bureau of Statistics said the population of China decreased by roughly 850,000 people. This follows 9.56 million births in 2022, which was the fewest since 1950.
In comparison to 2021, which witnessed 10.62 million births, the number in 2022 was nearly a million lower.
China's birth rate would be estimated at 6.77 per 1,000 people, down from 7.52 per 1,000 in 2021.
In addition, there were 10.41 million fatalities in 2022, up from almost 10 million the year before.
Bloomberg linked this to a rise in COVID-19-related fatalities, but it's not clear if the latest wave of pandemic fatalities would have been included in the official bookkeeping just yet.
China will experience its first population decrease since 1961 as a result of the low birth rate, which is the lowest since 1950.
Both Bloomberg and Reuters pointed out that 1961 was the year the Great Famine in China came to an end.
