China Birth Rate Hits Record Low Following Total Population Shrinkage

China recorded its lowest birth rate since 1949 as the total population decreased by over three million people during 2025.Newborns plummeted to 7.92 million while deaths rose to 11.31 million despite government efforts to encourage larger families through subsidies and contraceptive taxes.This demographic shift follows a year of 5% GDP growth that was hampered by weak domestic demand and high youth unemployment.