ISTANBUL

China’s birthrate has fallen to its lowest level since the founding of the People’s Republic in 1949, according to a report on Monday.

Official data released by the National Statistics Bureau showed births dropped to 5.6 per 1,000 people last year, with total newborns falling to 7.9 million — a sharp decline of 1.6 million and the steepest since 2020, Bloomberg reported.

The downturn pushed China’s overall population down by 3.4 million, marking the fourth straight annual fall.

The figures dealt a blow to Beijing’s push for a “fertility-friendly” society under President Xi Jinping, even as authorities roll out cash subsidies, extended parental leave, and other incentives.

China also recorded its lowest number of marriages since 1980 in 2024, with only 6.1 million couples tying the knot — a 20.5% drop from 2023 — while divorce rates rose by 1.1%.

The country’s demographic pressures deepened as low birth rates persisted, driven by fewer women of childbearing age, along with delayed marriage and parenthood among younger generations due to social and economic pressures.

Beijing has implemented policies to counter the decline in marriage and birth rates, but they have yet to show significant effects.

China's population stood at 1.4 billion in 2024, marking the third consecutive annual decline since 2021.