China's population falls for the first time in more than 60 years

Population in 2022 1.4118 billion fell by 850 thousand by 2021.

The birth rate in China has been declining for years, prompting a series of policies to slow down the trend.

But seven years after the removal of a child's policy, she has entered what one official described as a <x0-seconds population negative growth”, reports the BBC.

The birth rate of 2022 was also declining from 7.52 to 2021, according to China's National Statistics Bureau, which released the figures Tuesday.

Death also exceeded births for the first time last year. China registered its highest death rate since 1976, 7,37 deaths per 1000, up from 7,18 a year ago.

Earlier government data had warned a demographic crisis, which in the long run would threaten China's workforce and increase the burden on health care and other social insurance costs.

The results from a decade - long record declared in 2021 showed that China's population was growing at its slower rate in decades.