China’s Population Likely Fell in 2022 as Births Hit New Low
- Drop could worsen this year as Covid spreads across nation
- End of ‘one-child policy’ hasn’t turned around birth slump
Chinese students wave party and national flags in Beijing.
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China’s population likely started shrinking last year for the first time in decades, experts say, a significant milestone that will have long-term repercussions for the economy.
The government’s official data for total number of births in 2022 — expected to be released next week — will probably show a record low of 10 million, according to independent demographer He Yafu.