China’s population has fallen for a fourth consecutive year, with official data showing a sharp drop in births and a rise in deaths in 2025.

The country’s population decreased by 3.39 million to 1.405 billion, while the number of births fell to a record low of 7.92 million, down 17% from the previous year.

Deaths rose to 11.31 million, marking the highest death rate since 1968. Demographers note that China’s birth numbers in 2025 were roughly at the same level as in 1738, when the country’s population was only 150 million.

The population is ageing rapidly, with nearly 23% of people now aged over 60. By 2035, this figure is expected to reach 400 million comparable to the populations of the United States and Italy combined placing enormous pressure on the workforce and pension systems.

Authorities have already raised retirement ages, and are promoting marriage and childbirth to counter the demographic decline.

China’s decades-long one-child policy continues to cast a long shadow, as societal norms, rising urban living costs, and a shrinking pool of women of reproductive age make family-building increasingly difficult.

Despite efforts to provide financial support, medical coverage, and nationwide child subsidies, the fertility rate remains far below the replacement level, leaving experts and policymakers concerned about the country’s long-term social and economic future.

As China faces these demographic challenges, the story is not just about numbers it is about families, lives, and the human impact of an ageing society on everyday people, communities, and the nation as a whole.