China’s population is shrinking again — for the fourth straight year — and the decline is accelerating.

New data from the National Bureau of Statistics show China’s total population fell to about 1.405 billion by the end of 2025, down 3.39 million from the year before.

Births dropped to 7.92 million, while deaths climbed to 11.31 million, widening the country’s natural population decline.

The birthrate fell to 5.63 per 1,000 people, the lowest level since 1949. The death rate rose to its highest level since 1968.

According to Reuters, births in 2025 were down about 17 percent from the previous year, underscoring a continued freeze in fertility intentions.

The demographic shift is reshaping China’s economy and society.

People aged 60 and older now make up roughly 23 percent of the population. Officials estimate that by 2035, that group will reach 400 million, placing growing strain on pensions and the health care system with fewer workers to support more retirees.

Beijing has rolled out a range of measures to boost births — from cash subsidies and housing support to allowing couples to register marriages anywhere in the country.

But demographers say these steps are unlikely to reverse a structural decline.

Reporting by The New York Times notes that authorities recently imposed a 13 percent tax on contraceptives, a move widely mocked online. Many young people say the cost of birth control is trivial compared with the expense of raising a child.

Matchmaking organizers in Beijing say fewer young people even want to marry.

With economic growth slowing, housing prices under pressure, and youth unemployment high, many are delaying — or abandoning — marriage and parenthood altogether.

China’s population challenge is no longer just about policy. It is increasingly a test of long-term confidence in the future.