00:00China's birth rate plunged to its lowest level on record last year, official data showed
00:07on Monday, leading to a shrinking population for a fourth straight year despite efforts
00:12to curb the decline. The total population in 2025 stood at around 1.4 billion, 3 million
00:19less than the previous year. The country is threatened with a demographic crisis after
00:25its birth rate halved over the past decade, despite the end of the restrictive one-child
00:30policy. Marriage rates are also at a record low, with many young Chinese couples put off
00:36from having babies by high child-rearing costs and career concerns. Authorities have attempted
00:43to address the issue with a raft of measures, such as childcare subsidies, free public kindergartens
00:48and increased taxes on contraception. Young people in China have largely shrugged off these
00:54measures, saying they are not enough to address the problem.
Comments