China's Beijing population declines for the first time in 19 years..."due to high cost of living"
For the first time in 19 years, the population of Beijing, the capital of China, has recorded a natural decline.

The Reuters news agency reported on March 22nd, citing data from the Beijing authorities, that the death rate in Beijing last year exceeded the birth rate, and the population declined for the first time since 2003. The number of births last year was 5.67 per 1,000 people, down from the previous year, while the number of deaths during the same period increased to 5.72 per 1,000 people, bringing Beijing's total population to 21.84 million.

A researcher at the University of Victoria Policy Research Institute in Australia said, "Such figures were fully expected in Beijing," adding, "Considering Beijing's high cost of living and education, the low fertility rate is normal."

According to China's National Bureau of Statistics, as of the end of last year, China's population was 1,411.75 million, down 850,000 from the previous year. China's population is declining for the first time in 61 years since 1961, when Mao Zedong's Great Leap Forward led the Great Leap Forward. And Beijing's declining population is in line with this trend.

"The rise in the cost of living in big cities like Beijing, the economic slowdown, and changes in perceptions of marriage and childbirth have brought about changes," said Reuters.

China, on the other hand, has come up with various policies to improve the birthrate. Since last month, Sichuan province in southwestern China has allowed anyone, regardless of marital status, to register their children with the local government to receive the benefits of government childcare, and to remove restrictions on the number of children to register.
2023/03/29 09:56 KST