China is confronting a deepening demographic crisis as the country recorded its lowest-ever birth rate in 2025, raising fresh concerns over long-term economic and social stability. Official figures reveal that only 7.92 million children were born last year, a steep fall from 9.54 million in 2024, marking a 17 per cent year-on-year decline.
This is the lowest number of births recorded since the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949. The decline continues a troubling trend that became evident in 2023, the year India overtook China as the world’s most populous nation, according to the United Nations. Experts say the sharp fall reflects the long-term impact of China’s decades-long one-child policy, whose consequences are now fully unfolding.
Data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) shows that China’s population shrank by 3.39 million in 2025 alone, reducing the total population from 1.4083 billion to 1.4049 billion. Demographers warn that if the trend persists, the gap between the ageing population and the younger workforce will widen significantly.
China is already grappling with rapid ageing. As per 2024 estimates, more than 310 million people are aged above 60, a figure projected to rise to 400 million by 2035, placing mounting pressure on healthcare systems, pensions and the labour market.
Compounding the challenge, China reported approximately 11.31 million deaths last year, the highest mortality figure in nearly five decades. The sobering data comes even as Beijing moves to roll back earlier population control measures and introduce policies aimed at encouraging families to have more children.
