China’s population continues to shrink as deaths outnumber births

A line chart showing the difference between the birth rate and death rate in China from 1949 to 2023. Deaths outnumbered births in 2022 and 2023.

(Please use a modern browser to see the interactive version of this visualization)

Note: In 2015, China announced that all married couples would be allowed to have two children. In 2021, China said it would allow couples to have three children.

Source: National Bureau of Statistics of China By The New York Times