China Population Shrinks for Fourth Year as Births Hit Record Low

China recorded a fourth consecutive year of population decline in 2025 as birth rates fell to the lowest level since 1949.Experts such as Feng Chongyi describe the trend as an alarming reversal after total births dropped 17 percent while deaths hit a decades-high peak.Following these shifts, the government introduced childcare subsidies and taxed contraceptives while national energy data showed a landmark decrease in coal-based power generation.