China's population continues to shrink for the second year in a row. There are fewer and fewer births in the People's Republic. The data published by the National Bureau of Statistics speaks of a population of about 1.409 billion people at the end of 2023 (a figure that excludes residents of Hong Kong and Macao and of course Taiwan), a decrease of 2.08 million compared to the previous year. 2022 was the year of the first population decline in 60 years for the Asian giant. In 2023, 9.02 million children were born in the Dragon (6.39 births per thousand inhabitants), compared to 9.56 million in 2022. And the number of deaths increased from 10.41 million to 11.1 million, probably also due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Also read: War in Ukraine, NATO prophecy: “It will determine the fate of the world”
The effects of the one-child policy are becoming increasingly clear despite the abandonment of contraceptive measures due to worrying demographic developments. According to experts, the causes include the cost of living and the tendency of young people to marry less and less often. Last year, India overtook China as the world's most populous country.
Also read: Middle East, a Greek cargo ship, new US raids against the Houthis