Editing Demographics of China (section)

==Vital statistics==
[[File:China population changes.webp|thumb|upright=1.2|China population changes 1949 - 2022{{Update inline|date=January 2024|reason=2023 population estimates}}]]

===Total fertility rate from 1930 to 1949===
These are estimates as there are no registry data for that period. Sources: [[Our World In Data]] and [[Gapminder Foundation]].<ref name="ourworldindata.org">{{citation |url=https://ourworldindata.org/fertility-rate |title=Fertility Rate |author=Max Roser |date=2014 |work=[[Our World In Data]], [[Gapminder Foundation]] |access-date=20 July 2018 |archive-date=21 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201121073056/https://ourworldindata.org/fertility-rate |url-status=live}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:right"
|-
! Years !! 1930!!1931!!1932!!1933!!1934!!1935!!1936!!1937!!1938!!1939!!1940<ref name="ourworldindata.org"/>
|-
| align="left"|Total fertility rate in China||style="text-align:right; color:blue;"|5.5||style="text-align:right; color:blue;"|5.47 ||style="text-align:right; color:blue;"|5.45||style="text-align:right; color:blue;"|5.43||style="text-align:right; color:blue;"|5.4||style="text-align:right; color:blue;"|5.38||style="text-align:right; color:blue;"|5.35||style="text-align:right; color:blue;"|5.32||style="text-align:right; color:blue;"|5.3||style="text-align:right; color:blue;"|5.28||style="text-align:right; color:blue;"|5.25
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:right"
|-
! Years !! 1941!!1942!!1943!!1944!!1945!!1946!!1947!!1948!!1949<ref name="ourworldindata.org"/>
|-
| align="left"|Total fertility rate in China||style="text-align:right; color:blue;"|5.15||style="text-align:right; color:blue;"|5.06 ||style="text-align:right; color:blue;"|4.96||style="text-align:right; color:blue;"|4.86||style="text-align:right; color:blue;"|4.77||style="text-align:right; color:blue;"|5||style="text-align:right; color:blue;"|5.2||style="text-align:right; color:blue;"|4.91||style="text-align:right; color:blue;"|5.54
|}

===Births and deaths as of 1949===
Notable events in demography of China:
* 1958–1962 [[Great Leap Forward]]

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align: right"
|-
!
! style="width:70pt;"|Midyear population 
! style="width:70pt;"|[[Live birth (human)|Live births]]<sup>1</sup>
! style="width:70pt;"|Deaths<sup>1</sup>
! style="width:70pt;"|Natural change<sup>1</sup>
! style="width:70pt;"|[[Birth rate|Crude birth rate]] (per 1000)
! style="width:70pt;"|[[Mortality rate|Crude death rate]] (per 1000)
! style="width:70pt;"|Natural change (per 1000)
! style="width:70pt;"|Crude migration rate (per 1000)
! style="width:70pt;"|[[Total fertility rate]]
|-
| 1949
|537,371,000
|19,345,000||10,747,000||8,598,000
|36.0||20.0||16.0|| ||
|-
| 1950
|546,815,000
|20,232,000||9,843,000||10,389,000
|37.0||18.0||19.0|| -1.4||5.29
|-
| 1951
|557,480,000
|21,073,000||9,923,000||11,150,000
|37.8||17.8||20.0||-0.5||
|-
| 1952
|568,910,000
|21,050,000||9,671,000||11,379,000
|37.0||17.0||20.0||0.5||
|-
| 1953
|581,390,000
|21,511,000||8,139,000||13,372,000
|37.0||14.0||23.0||-1.1||
|-
| 1954
|595,310,000
|22,604,000||7,846,000||14,758,000
|37.97||13.18||24.79||-0.8||
|-
| 1955
|608,655,000
|19,842,000||7,474,000||12,368,000
|32.60||12.28||20.32||2.1||5.98
|-
| 1956
|621,465,000
|19,825,000||7,085,000||12,740,000
|31.90||11.40||20.50||0.5||
|-
| 1957
|637,405,000
|21,691,000||6,884,000||14,807,000
|34.03||10.80||23.23||2.4||
|-
| 1958
|653,235,000
|19,088,000||7,826,000||11,262,000
|29.22||11.98||17.24||7.6||
|-
| 1959
|666,005,000
|16,504,000||9,717,000||6,787,000
|24.78||14.59||10.19||style="color:blue"|9.4||
|-
| 1960
|667,070,000
|13,915,000
|style="color: red" |16,964,000
|style="color: red"|−3,049,000
|20.86||style="color: red" |25.43||style="color: red"|−4.57||6.2||3.99
|-
| 1961
|660,330,000
|11,899,000
|9,403,000||2,496,000
|18.02||14.24||3.78||-13.9||3.37
|-
| 1962
|665,770,000
|24,640,000||6,671,000||17,969,000
|37.01||10.02||26.99||style="color:red|-18.8||
|-
| 1963
|682,335,000
|style="color: blue" |29,593,000
|6,851,000
|style="color: blue"|22,742,000
|style="color: blue" |43.37||10.04||style="color: blue" |33.33||-8.4||style="color: blue" |6.88
|-
| 1964
|698,355,000
|27,334,000||8,031,000||19,303,000
|39.14||11.50||27.64||-4.2||
|-
| 1965
|715,185,000
|27,091,000||6,794,000||20,297,000
|37.88||9.50||28.38||-4.3||6.02
|-
| 1966
|735,400,000
|25,776,000||6,494,000||19,282,000
|35.05||8.83||26.22||2.0||
|-
| 1967
|754,550,000
|25,625,000||6,361,000||19,264,000
|33.96||8.43||25.53||0.5||
|-
| 1968
|774,510,000
|27,565,000||6,359,000||21,206,000
|35.59||8.21||27.38||-0.9||
|-
| 1969
|796,025,000
|27,152,000||6,392,000||20,760,000
|34.11||8.03||26.08||1.7
|-
| 1970
|818,315,000
|27,356,000||6,219,000||21,137,000
|33.43||7.60||25.83||2.2||5.75
|-
| 1971
|841,105,000
|25,780,000||6,157,000||19,623,000
|30.65||7.32||23.33||4.5||
|-
| 1972
|862,030,000
|25,663,000||6,560,000||19,103,000
|29.77||7.61||22.16||2.7||
|-
| 1973
|881,940,000
|24,633,000||6,209,000||18,424,000
|27.93||7.04||20.89||2.2||
|-
| 1974
|900,350,000
|22,347,000||6,609,000||15,738,000
|24.82||7.34||17.48||3.4||
|-
| 1975
|916,395,000
|21,086,000||6,708,000||14,378,000
|23.01||7.32||15.69||2.1||3.58
|-
| 1976
|930,685,000
|18,530,000||6,747,000||11,783,000
|19.91||7.25||12.66||2.9||
|-
| 1977
|943,455,000
|17,860,000||6,482,000||11,378,000
|18.93||6.87||12.06||1.7||
|-
| 1978
|956,165,000
|17,450,000
|style="color: blue" |5,976,000
|11,474,000
|18.25||6.25||12.00||1.5||
|-
| 1979
|969,005,000
|17,268,000||6,018,000||11,250,000
|18.21||style="color: blue" |6.21||11.87||1.6||
|-
| 1980
|981,235,000
|17,868,000||6,221,000||11,647,000
|18.21||6.34||11.87||0.8
|2.32
|-
| 1981
|993,885,000
|20,782,000||6,321,000||14,461,000
|20.91||6.36||14.55||-1.7||
|-
| 1982
|1,008,630,000
|21,260,000||6,653,000||14,607,000
|22.28||6.60||15.68||-0.8||
|-
| 1983
|1,023,310,000
|18,996,000||7,223,000||11,773,000
|20.19||6.90||13.29||1.3||
|-
| 1984
|1,036,825,000
|18,022,000||6,890,000||11,132,000
|19.90||6.82||13.08||0.1||
|-
| 1985
|1,051,040,000
|21,994,000||7,087,000||14,907,000
|21.04||6.78||14.26||-0.5
|2.65
|-
| 1986
|1,066,790,000
|23,928,000||7,318,000||16,610,000
|22.43||6.86||15.57||-0.6||
|-
| 1987
|1,084,035,000
|25,291,000||7,285,000||18,006,000
|23.33||6.72||16.61||-0.4||
|-
| 1988
|1,101,630,000
|24,643,000||7,315,000||17,328,000
|22.37||6.64||15.73||0.5||
|-
| 1989
|1,118,650,000
|24,140,000||7,316,000||16,824,000
|21.58||6.54||15.04||0.4||
|-
| 1990
|1,135,185,000
|23,910,000||7,570,000||16,340,000
|21.06||6.67||14.39||0.4
|2.43
|-
| 1991
|1,150,780,000
|22,650,000||7,710,000||14,940,000
|19.68||6.70||12.98||0.8||
|-
| 1992
|1,164,970,000
|21,250,000||7,740,000||13,510,000
|18.24||6.64||11.60||0.7||
|-
| 1993
|1,178,440,000
|21,320,000||7,820,000||13,500,000
|18.09||6.64||11.45||0.1||
|-
| 1994
|1,191,835,000
|21,100,000||7,740,000||13,360,000
|17.70||6.49||11.21||0.2||
|-
| 1995
|1,204,855,000
|20,630,000||7,920,000||12,710,000
|17.12||6.57||10.55|| 0.4
|1.68
|-
| 1996
|1,217,550,000
|20,670,000||7,990,000||12,680,000
|16.98||6.56||10.42||0.1||
|-
| 1997
|1,230,075,000
|20,380,000||8,010,000||12,370,000
|16.57||6.51||10.06||0.2||
|-
| 1998
|1,241,935,000
|19,420,000||8,070,000||11,350,000
|15.64||6.50||9.14||0.5||
|-
| 1999
|1,252,735,000
|18,340,000||8,090,000||10,250,000
|14.64||6.46||8.18||0.5||
|-
| 2000
|1,262,645,000
|17,710,000||8,140,000||9,570,000
|14.03||6.45||7.58||0.3
|1.45
|-
| 2001
|1,271,850,000
|17,020,000||8,180,000||8,840,000
|13.38||6.43||6.95||0.3||
|-
| 2002
|1,280,400,000
|16,470,000||8,210,000||8,260,000
|12.86||6.41||6.45||0.3||
|-
| 2003
|1,288,400,000
|15,990,000||8,250,000||7,740,000
|12.41||6.40||6.01||0.2||
|-
| 2004
|1,296,075,000
|15,930,000||8,320,000||7,610,000
|12.29||6.42||5.87||0.1||
|-
| 2005
|1,303,720,000
|16,170,000||8,490,000||7,680,000
|12.40||6.51||5.89||0
|1.51
|-
| 2006
|1,311,020,000
|15,850,000||8,930,000||6,920,000
|12.09||6.81||5.28||0.3||1.50
|-
| 2007
|1,317,885,000
|15,940,000||9,130,000||6,810,000
|12.10||6.93||5.17||0.1||1.53
|-
| 2008
|1,324,655,000
|16,080,000||9,350,000||6,730,000
|12.14||7.06||5.08||0.1||1.55
|-
| 2009
|1,331,260,000
|15,910,000||9,430,000||6,480,000
|11.95||7.08||4.87||0.1||1.54
|-
| 2010
|1,337,705,000
|15,920,000||9,510,000||6,410,000
|11.90||7.11||4.79||0.1
|1.54  
|-
| 2011
|1,345,035,000
|17,970,000||9,600,000||8,370,000
|13.27||7.14||6.13||-0.7||
|-
| 2012
|1,354,190,000
|19,730,000||9,660,000||10,070,000
|14.57||7.13||7.43||-0.6||
|-
| 2013
|1,363,240,000
|17,760,000||9,720,000||8,040,000
|13.03||7.13||5.9||0.8||
|-
| 2014
|1,371,860,000
|18,970,000||9,770,000||9,200,000
|13.83||7.12||6.71||-0.4||
|-
|-
|2015
|1,379,860,000
|16,550,000
|9,750,000
|6,800,000
|11.99
|7.07
|4.93
| 0.9
|1.57
|-
| 2016
|1,387,790,000
|17,860,000||9,770,000 ||8,090,000
|12.95 ||7.09 ||5.86 || -0.1||1.70
|-
|2017
|1,396,215,000
|17,230,000
|9,860,000
|7,370,000
|12.64
|7.06
|5.58
| 0.5
|1.67
|-
|2018
|1,402,760,000
|15,230,000
|9,930,000
|5,300,000
|10.86
|7.08
|3.78
| 0.9
|1.55
|-
|2019
|1,407,745,000
|14,650,000
|9,980,000
|4,670,000
|10.41
|7.09
|3.32
| 0.2
|1.50
|-
|2020
|1,411,100,000
|12,020,000
|9,970,000
|2,050,000
|8.52
|7.07
|1.45
| 0.9
|1.28
|-
|2021
|style="color: blue"|1,412,360,000
|10,620,000
|10,140,000
|480,000
|7.52
|7.18
|0.34
| 0.6
|1.16
|-
|2022<ref name=":0" />
|1,411,750,000
|9,560,000
|10,410,000
|style="color: red"|−850,000
|6.77
|7.37
|style="color: red"|−0.60
| 0.2
|1.09
|-
|2023<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.stats.gov.cn/english/PressRelease/202401/t20240117_1946605.html |title=National Economy Witnessed Momentum of Recovery with Solid Progress in High-quality Development in 2023 |access-date=17 January 2024 |archive-date=17 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240117064011/https://www.stats.gov.cn/english/PressRelease/202401/t20240117_1946605.html |url-status=live}}</ref>
|1,409,670,000
|style="color: red"|9,020,000
|11,100,000
|style="color: red"|−2,080,000
|style="color: red"|6.39
|7.87
|style="color: red"|−1.48
| 0
|style="color: red"|1.07
|-
|2024<ref>{{cite news|title=China's population falls for a third consecutive year|url=https://www.reuters.com/world/china/chinas-population-falls-third-consecutive-year-2025-01-17/|work=[[Reuters]]|date=17 January 2025}}</ref>
|1,408,280,000
|9,540,000
|10,930,000
|style="color: red"|−1,390,000
|6.77
|7.76
|style="color: red"|−0.99
|
|1.15
|}

{{GraphChart
| width = 450
| height = 150
| xAxisTitle=years
| yAxisTitle= TFR
| yAxisMin=
| yGrid= 0,1
| xGrid= 10
| hAnnotatonsLine=2.1
| hAnnotatonsLabel=
| legend=
| type = line
| x = 1950,1951,1952,1953,1954,1955,1956,1957,1958,1959,1960,1961,1962,1963,1964,1965,1966,1967,1968,1969,1970,1971,1972,1973,1974,1975,1976,1977,1978,1979,1980,1981,1982,1983,1984,1985,1986,1987,1988,1989,1990,1991,1992,1993,1994,1995,1996,1997,1998,1999,2000,2001,2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022

| y1=  5.29,,,,,5.98,,,,,3.99,,,,,6.02,,,,,5.75,,,,,3.58,,,,,2.32,,,,,2.65,,,,,2.43,,,,,1.68,,,,,1.45,,,,,1.51,,1.53, 1.55, 1.54,1.54,,,,,1.57, 1.70, 1.67, 1.55, 1.50, 1.30, 1.16, 1.08

| y1Title=total fertility rate

}}

===Total fertility rate by region===
According to the 2000 census, the [[Total fertility rate|TFR]] was 1.22 (0.86 for cities, 1.08 for towns and 1.43 for villages/outposts). Beijing had the lowest [[Total fertility rate|TFR]] at 0.67, while [[Guizhou]] had the highest at 2.19. The [[Xiangyang District, Jiamusi|Xiangyang district]] of [[Jiamusi]] city ([[Heilongjiang]]) has a TFR of 0.41, which is the lowest TFR recorded anywhere in the world in recorded history. Other extremely low TFR counties are: 0.43 in the [[Heping District, Tianjin|Heping district]] of [[Tianjin city]] ([[Tianjin]]), and 0.46 in the [[Mawei district]] of [[Fuzhou]] city ([[Fujian]]). At the other end TFR was 3.96 in [[Geji County]] ([[Tibet Autonomous Region|Tibet]]), 4.07 in [[Jiali County]] (Tibet), and 5.47 in [[Baqing County]] (Tibet).<ref>{{cite thesis |last=Terrell |first=Heather |title=Fertility in China in 2000: A County Level Analysis |date=2005 |access-date=14 December 2022 |type=MS thesis |publisher=Texas A&M University |url=https://oaktrust.library.tamu.edu/handle/1969.1/3892 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221214155317/https://oaktrust.library.tamu.edu/handle/1969.1/3892 |archive-date=14 December 2022 |hdl=1969.1/3892 |df=dmy-all |url-status=live}}</ref>

The 2010 census reported a TFR of 1.18 (0.88 in cities, 1.15 in townships, and
1.44 in rural areas).<ref name="iussp.org">{{cite web |author1=Wang Guang-zhou |author2=Fu Chong-hui |title=New fertility changes and characteristics from the sixth population census in China |url=http://www.iussp.org/sites/default/files/event_call_for_papers/New%20fertility%20changes%20and%20characteristics%20from%20the%20sixth%20population%20census%20in%20China-isupp-11.21_0.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160403072026/http://iussp.org/sites/default/files/event_call_for_papers/New%20fertility%20changes%20and%20characteristics%20from%20the%20sixth%20population%20census%20in%20China-isupp-11.21_0.pdf |archive-date=3 April 2016 |access-date=31 August 2017 |website=Iussp.org}}</ref>
The five regions with the lowest fertility rates were Beijing (0.71), Shanghai
(0.74), [[Liaoning]] (0.74), [[Heilongjiang]] (0.75), and [[Jilin]] (0.76). The five regions with the highest
fertility rates were [[Guangxi]] (1.79), [[Guizhou]] (1.75), [[Xinjiang]] (1.53), [[Hainan]] (1.51), and [[Anhui]]
(1.48).<ref name="iussp.org" />

The 2020 census reported a TFR of 1.301, with 1.118 in cities, 1.395 in townships, and 1.543 in rural areas.<ref>{{cite web |title=China Population Census Yearbook 2020, 6-4 |url=https://www.stats.gov.cn/sj/pcsj/rkpc/7rp/zk/indexch.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240219081310/https://www.stats.gov.cn/sj/pcsj/rkpc/7rp/zk/indexch.htm |archive-date=19 February 2024 |access-date=3 April 2024 |website=国家统计局-第七次人口普查数据}}</ref> 
The shift of fertility rate recorded in 2020 census compared to that in the previous 2 censuses may not be an actual recovery, but rather due to the low quality and massive underreporting of lower-age groups in the 2000 and 2010 censuses, while the [[One-child policy|population control policy]] in China back then may also give families an incentive to hide their children, which is largely relieved as the policy changed in 2010s. This can be demonstrated by the much lower number of population aged 0~4 and 5~9 in the 2000 and 2010 censuses <ref>{{cite web |title=中国2000年人口普查资料，3-1 |url=https://www.stats.gov.cn/sj/pcsj/rkpc/5rp/index.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240411163117/https://www.stats.gov.cn/sj/pcsj/rkpc/5rp/index.htm |archive-date=11 April 2024 |access-date=3 April 2024 |website=国家统计局-第五次人口普查数据}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=中国2010年人口普查资料，3-1 |url=https://www.stats.gov.cn/sj/pcsj/rkpc/6rp/indexch.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240403024816/https://www.stats.gov.cn/sj/pcsj/rkpc/6rp/indexch.htm |archive-date=3 April 2024 |access-date=3 April 2024 |website=国家统计局-第六次人口普查数据}}</ref> when compared to the corresponding age groups in 2020.<ref>{{cite web |title=China Population Census Yearbook 2020，3-1 |url=https://www.stats.gov.cn/sj/pcsj/rkpc/7rp/zk/indexch.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240219081310/https://www.stats.gov.cn/sj/pcsj/rkpc/7rp/zk/indexch.htm |archive-date=19 February 2024 |access-date=3 April 2024 |website=国家统计局-第七次人口普查数据}}</ref>

Total fertility rate by ethnic group (2010 census): [[Han Chinese|Han]] (1.14), [[Zhuang people|Zhuang]] (1.59), [[Hui people|Hui]] (1.48), [[Manchu people|Manchu]] (1.18), [[Uyghur people|Uyghur]] (2.04), [[Miao people|Miao]] (1.82), [[Yi people|Yi]] (1.82), [[Tujia people|Tujia]] (1.74), [[Tibetan people|Tibetan]] (1.60), [[Mongols]] (1.26).<ref>{{cite web |last=Team |first=Discuz! Team and Comsenz UI |title=科学网—2010年人口普查各民族人口数据 - 易富贤的博文 |url=http://blog.sciencenet.cn/blog-385383-765643.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170831225100/http://blog.sciencenet.cn/blog-385383-765643.html |archive-date=31 August 2017 |access-date=31 August 2017 |website=blog.sciencenet.cn}}</ref>

===Life expectancy===
{{See also|List of Chinese administrative divisions by life expectancy}}

[[File:Life expectancy map of China 2019 with names.png|upright=1.36|thumb|Map of Chinese regions by life expectancy in 2019<ref name="CCDC_Weekly">{{cite journal |author=Jing Yang, Ruhai Bai, Lijun Wang, Xiaoqi Feng, Yunning Liu, Maigeng Zhou |title=Healthy China: A Projection of Life Expectancy Based on the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019 — China, 1990–2030 |journal=[[China CDC Weekly]] |language=en |date=13 January 2023 |volume=5 |issue=2 |pages=40–44 |doi=10.46234/ccdcw2023.008 |pmid=36776687 |pmc=9902745}} — table 1, page 42</ref>]]
[[File:Life expectancy by WBG -China -diff.png|thumb|upright=1.36|Life expectancy in China since 1960 by gender]]
Source: ''UN World Population Prospects''<ref>{{cite web |title=World Population Prospects – Population Division – United Nations |url=https://esa.un.org/unpd/wpp/DataQuery/ |access-date=2017-07-15 |archive-date=19 September 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160919061238/https://esa.un.org/unpd/wpp/DataQuery/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
!Period
!Life expectancy in<br />Years
!Period
!Life expectancy in<br />Years
|-
|1950–1955
|43.8
|1985–1990
|68.9
|-
|1955–1960
|44.5
|1990–1995
|69.7
|-
|1960–1965
|44.6
|1995–2000
|70.9
|-
|1965–1970
|55.5
|2000–2005
|73.1
|-
|1970–1975
|61.7
|2005–2010
|74.7
|-
|1975–1980
|65.5
|2010–2015
|75.7
|-
|1980–1985
|67.8
|2023<ref>{{Cite web |last=杨怡 |title=China's average life expectancy rises to 78.6 yrs |url=https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202408/29/WS66d01f00a31060630b925a65.html |access-date=2024-09-30 |website=www.chinadaily.com.cn}}</ref>
|78.6
|}

===Fertility and mortality===
[[File:Chang%27an_avenue_in_Beijing.jpg|thumb|upright=1.36|Traffic in Beijing]]
{{See also|Aging of China}}{{More citations needed|section|date=September 2024}}
In 1949 crude death rates were probably higher than 30 per 1,000, and the average life expectancy was only 35 years. Beginning in the early 1950s, [[Mortality rate|mortality]] steadily declined; it continued to decline through 1978 and remained relatively constant through 1987. One major fluctuation was reported in a computer reconstruction of China's population trends from 1953 to 1987 produced by the [[United States Bureau of the Census]]. The computer model showed that the crude death rate increased dramatically during the famine years associated with the [[Great Leap Forward]] (1958–60).{{citation needed|date=October 2023}}

According to Chinese government statistics, the crude birth rate followed five distinct patterns from 1949 to 1982. It remained stable from 1949 to 1954, varied widely from 1955 to 1965, experienced fluctuations between 1966 and 1969, dropped sharply in the late 1970s, and increased from 1980 to 1981. Between 1970 and 1980, the crude birth rate dropped from 33.4 per 1,000 to 18.2 per 1,000. The government attributed this dramatic decline in fertility to the ''wǎn xī shǎo'' ("晚、稀、少", or "late, long, few": later marriages, longer intervals between births, and fewer children) [[birth control]] campaign. However, elements of socioeconomic change, such as increased employment of women in both urban and rural areas and reduced [[infant mortality]] (a greater percentage of surviving children would tend to reduce demand for additional children), may have played some role. The birth rate increased in the 1980s to a level over 20 per 1,000, primarily as a result of a marked rise in marriages and first births. The rise was an indication of problems with the one-child policy of 1979. Chinese sources, however, indicate that the birth rate started to decrease again in the 1990s and reached a level of around 12 per 1,000 in recent years.{{citation needed|date=October 2023}}

In urban areas, the housing shortage may have been at least partly responsible for the decreased birth rate. Also, the policy in force during most of the 1960s and the early 1970s of sending large numbers of high school graduates to the countryside deprived cities of a significant proportion of persons of childbearing age and undoubtedly had some effect on birth rates (see [[Cultural Revolution]] (1966–76)). Primarily for economic reasons, rural birth rates tended to decline less than urban rates. The right to grow and sell agricultural products for personal profit and the lack of an old-age [[Economic welfare|welfare system]] were incentives for rural people to produce many children, especially sons, for help in the fields and for support in old age. Because of these conditions, it is unclear to what degree education has been able to erode traditional values favoring large families.{{citation needed|date=October 2023}}

China exhibits a serious [[son preference in China|gender imbalance]]. Census data obtained in 2000 revealed that 119 boys were born for every 100 girls, and among China's "floating population" the ratio was as high as 128:100. These situations led the government in July 2004 to ban selective abortions of female fetuses. It is estimated{{By whom|date=December 2024}} that this imbalance will rise until 2025–2030 to reach 20% then slowly decrease.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sinoptic.ch/textes/articles/2007/2007_Projection.population.Chine.pdf |title=Pascal Rocha da Silva, Projection de la population chinoise 2000–2050, p. 9, cf. |access-date=14 October 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130811020453/http://www.sinoptic.ch/textes/articles/2007/2007_Projection.population.Chine.pdf |archive-date=11 August 2013 |df=dmy}}</ref>

In the 2020s, cash incentives have been offered to increase birth rates.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Lang |first=Qian |date=November 20, 2024 |title=Remote Chinese county offers cash for babies to boost population |url=https://www.rfa.org/english/china/2024/11/20/china-births-gansu-cash-babies/ |access-date=November 21, 2024 |work=[[Radio Free Asia]]}}</ref><ref name=":5">{{Cite news |last1=Olcott |first1=Eleanor |last2=Xueqiao |first2=Wang |last3=Liu |first3=Nian |date=2024-12-25 |title=China steps up campaign for single people to date, marry and give birth |url=https://www.ft.com/content/5fdf42e1-2975-4c99-9031-a9f73c2251be |url-access=subscription |access-date=2024-12-25 |work=[[Financial Times]]}}</ref> Local government family-planning committees, previously used to enforce the one-child policy, are deployed for pro-natalist policies such as calling women to check on their [[menstrual cycle]].<ref>{{Cite news |date=November 28, 2024 |title=China's government is badgering women to have babies |url=https://www.economist.com/china/2024/11/28/chinas-government-is-badgering-women-to-have-babies |url-access=subscription |access-date=2024-11-28 |newspaper=[[The Economist]] |issn=0013-0613}}</ref><ref name=":5" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Kaufman |first=Arthur |date=2025-05-01 |title=As Marriage Registrations Drop, Local Officials Text Women: “How Has Your Period Been Recently?” |url=https://chinadigitaltimes.net/2025/04/as-marriage-registrations-drop-local-officials-text-women-how-has-your-period-been-recently/ |access-date=2025-05-02 |website=[[China Digital Times]] |language=en-US}}</ref>

==== Censorship of data ====
Although the [[National Bureau of Statistics of China]] reported 9.02 million births in 2023,<ref name=":22"/> the state-owned ''Mother and Infant Daily'' newspaper reported there were 7.88 million births for the same year.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |date=December 27, 2023 |title=China deletes leaked stats showing plunging birth rate for 2023 |url=https://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/china-birth-rates-plunge-12272023160425.html |access-date=2024-01-02 |website=[[Radio Free Asia]] |language=en |archive-date=2 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240102191523/https://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/china-birth-rates-plunge-12272023160425.html |url-status=live}}</ref> The report was promptly [[Internet censorship in China|censored]] following publication.<ref name=":3" />

===Labor force===
In 2012, for the first time, according to the [[National Bureau of Statistics of China|National Bureau of Statistics]] in January 2013, the number of people theoretically able to enter the Chinese labor force (individuals aged 15 to 59), shrank slightly to 937.27 million, a decrease of 3.45 million from 2011. This trend, resulting from a [[demographic transition]], is anticipated to continue until at least 2030.<ref name=CNBC011913>{{cite news |title=Chinese Labor Pool Begins to Drain |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2013/01/19/chinese-labor-pool-begins-to-drain.html |access-date=8 February 2013 |newspaper=CNBC |date=19 January 2013 |author=Jamil Anderliniin |author2=Ed Crooks |agency=Financial Times |archive-date=28 March 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130328064737/http://www.cnbc.com/id/100392731 |url-status=live}}</ref>
The [[World Factbook]] estimated the 2019 active labor force was 774.71&nbsp;million.<ref>{{cite web |title=CIA World Fact Book |url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/china/ |website=Cia.gov |access-date=19 December 2022 |archive-date=13 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210213122152/https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/china/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

===Height and weight===
As of 2020, the average Chinese man was {{convert|169.7|cm|ftin|abbr=off|sp=us}} tall in 2019, the figures showed, and women's average height was {{convert|158|cm|ftin|sp=us}}. The same study showed an average Chinese man weighed {{convert|69.6|kg|lb stlb}}, up {{convert|3.4|kg|lb}} over 10 years, while women were {{convert|1.7|kg|lb}} heavier on average at {{convert|59|kg|lb stlb}}. They were up {{convert|1.2|and|0.8|cm|in|sp=us}} respectively from 5 years earlier.<ref>{{Cite web |title=中国男性和女性平均身高分别为169.7厘米和158厘米-中新网 |url=https://www.chinanews.com.cn/gn/2020/12-23/9369166.shtml |access-date=2022-07-28 |website=www.chinanews.com.cn |archive-date=9 June 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220609115801/https://www.chinanews.com.cn/gn/2020/12-23/9369166.shtml |url-status=live}}</ref>

===Gender balance===
Future challenges for China will be the gender disparity. According to the [[2020 Chinese census|2020 census]], males account for 51.24% of China's 1.41&nbsp;billion people, while females made up 48.76% of the total. The sex ratio (the number of males for each female in a population) at birth was 118.06 boys to every 100 girls (54.14%) in [[Sixth National Population Census of the People's Republic of China|2010]], higher than the 116.86 (53.89%) of 2000, but 0.53 points lower than the ratio of 118.59 (54.25%) in 2005.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/china/2011-04/28/c_13850191.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110911115321/http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/china/2011-04/28/c_13850191.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=11 September 2011 |title=Chinese mainland gender ratios most balanced since 1950s: census data |website=News.xinhuanet.com |date=28 April 2011 |access-date=14 October 2013}}</ref>