China saw its birth rate hit a record low in 2025, as the country’s population declined for the fourth consecutive year, raising concerns about long-term demographic and economic pressures for the world’s second-largest economy, according to CNN.

Data released by China’s National Bureau of Statistics on Monday showed the birth rate fell to 5.63 births per 1,000 people, a sharp drop from the previous low of 6.39 per 1,000 in 2023. The report indicates that a modest rise in births in 2024 was an anomaly rather than a reversal of the downward trend, which has been ongoing since 2016.

The statistics also reveal a population decrease of 3.39 million in 2025. With 7.92 million babies born and 11.31 million deaths recorded, China’s population continues to shrink. India has maintained its position as the world’s most populous country since surpassing China in 2023.

Despite the demographic decline, China met its economic growth target for the year, reporting a 5 per cent expansion in 2025, consistent with the government’s goal of “around 5%.” Growth was largely driven by a surge in exports, which helped counter weaker domestic consumption and ongoing trade tensions with the United States. China posted a record trade surplus of $1.2 trillion, despite the intermittent trade conflict with the U.S. under President Donald Trump.

However, the pace of growth showed signs of easing toward the end of the year. In the fourth quarter, China’s economy expanded by 4.5 per cent compared with the same period in 2024, marking the slowest quarterly growth since late 2022.