China’s population sees 2nd consecutive year of decline amid economic and demographic challenges
The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on the country, leading to a 6.6% increase in total deaths to 11.1 million, with the death rate reaching its highest level since 1974. New births fell by 5.7% to 9.02 million, accompanied by a record-low birth rate of 6.39 births per 1,000 people, down from 6.77 in 2022.