China Birth Rate Hits Record Low as Population Shrinks for Fourth Year

China's population fell for the fourth consecutive year in 2025 as the birth rate hit a record low of 5.63 per 1,000 residents.The government plans to reimburse all pregnancy-related medical costs and has introduced a tax on contraceptives to encourage births.Demographers warn that the total population could halve by the end of the century as the working-age population continues to shrink.