China's population falls again as births drop 17%.

Government statistics show China’s population was 1.404 billion in 2025, down 3 million from 2024, and births fell 17% to 7.92 million.

China's population continued to shrink in 2025, marking the fourth consecutive year of decline, according to government statistics. The total population was 1.404 billion, about 3 million fewer people than in 2024. New births fell to 7.92 million in 2025, a 17% drop from the prior year. Officials have introduced measures such as cash subsidies and tax changes to encourage childbearing but recent figures show those steps have not yet reversed the trend. Key points: - Government statistics report a 2025 population of 1.404 billion, down roughly 3 million from 2024. - Births in 2025 totaled 7.92 million, a decline of 1.62 million or 17% from the previous year. - Experts estimate the fertility rate is near 1, well below the 2.1 rate needed to maintain population size; China last gave an official fertility figure of 1.3 in 2020. - Policy changes noted include raising child limits from one to two and then three, a cash subsidy announced in July, and tax changes affecting contraceptives and childcare services. Summary: The figures underline continuing demographic pressures after decades of a one-child policy and recent efforts to encourage more births have not yet produced a lasting turnaround. Undetermined at this time.