China records 1st population fall in decades

For the first time in decades, China has fewer people than it did at the start of last year, according to official figures released.

The National Bureau of Statistics reported that the country had 850,000 fewer people at the end of 2022 than the previous year.The tally includes only the population of mainland China, excluding Hong Kong and Macao as well as foreign residents.Over one million fewer babies were born than the previous year amid a slowing economy and widespread pandemic lockdowns.

The bureau reported 9.56 million births in 2022, compared to 10.62 million in 2021.Deaths rose from 10.14 million to 10.41 million.China has sought to bolster its population since officially ending its one-child policy in 2016.