Data from China's Henan shows extent of Beijing's population fall; records 8,000 more deaths than births
Demography in China is undergoing a major shift, with the number of births declining and the population ageing rapidly. The latest data from the nation's Henan province shows the extent of the challenge faced by Beijing. For the first time since 1961, the province has recorded more deaths than it had births. As per the latest figures, Henan recorded 8,000 more deaths than births; this as per the South China Morning Post is the province's first population decline in around six decades. In 2022, the province also saw an overall population decline of around 110,000 people.
The population decline is mainly because of a massive outflow of workers and is low compared to 2021's overall population decline of 580,000.
As per Henan's Bureau of Statistics, various factors have contributed to the province's population decline.
In a statement on Monday, the bureau said it was "affected by various factors such as the continuous decrease of women of childbearing age, changes in beliefs, delayed marriage and childbirth, population outflow and population ageing."
The bureau further said that "the number of births (in Henan province) continued to decrease in 2022, and the number of deaths have increased."
Henan's population is ageing rapidly. As per official data, in 2022, the number of people over 60 years of age in comparison to 2021 rose by around 790,000.
People aged 60 years and older account for 18.9 per cent of Henan's population; this figure stands at 19.8 per cent for China overall.
The number of births in china is decreasing. Last year, the nation saw its lowest birth rate in modern history with 9.56 million babies born. This was the first time China's birth rate fell below 10 million.
In comparison, deaths outnumbered births. The nation's overall population also fell to 1.4118 billion in 2022. This number stood at 1.4126 just a year earlier in 2021. To deal with the population plummet, Beijing has introduced a variety of pronatalist measures, including maternity and paternity leaves, cash rewards, etc.
