Reversing the effects of the one-child policy is set to take a very long time.
A teacher and students at a preschool in Luannan County, Hebei, China. Credit: Inzyx via Depositphotos
China has just announced that births in 2025 plunged to 7.92 million, from 9.54 million the previous year — and almost half of what was projected (14.33 million) when the one-child policy was repealed in 2016. In fact, China’s births have fallen to a level comparable to that of 1738, when the country’s total population was only about 150 million.
An excerpt from a National Bureau of Statistics release covering 2025 data. Credit: National Bureau of Statistics
Having finally acknow
Exclusive longform investigative journalism, Q&As, news and analysis, and data on Chinese business elites and corporations. We publish China scoops you won't find anywhere else.
A weekly curated reading list on China from Andrew Peaple.
A daily roundup of China finance, business and economics headlines.
We offer discounts for groups, institutions and students. Go to our Subscriptions page for details.
We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.
