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China's population

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China's population
China's top decision-making body announced in late October that it would relax the one-child policy, a controversial birth control measure Beijing introduced officially in the early 1980s to curb population growth. But demographers say the easing in the rules will not do much to rebalance China's ageing population.
A group of older Chinese people gather at Shanghai’s Fuxing Park. The city is now encouraging seniors to return to work. Photo: Shutterstock
China jobs

Shanghai mobilises seniors to work longer amid China’s demographic crisis

With one in three residents above retirement age, Shanghai’s 28-department plan aims to mobilise retirees to offset shrinking payrolls and rising pension strains.

China consumption

Xi Jinping backs services sector to power China’s next growth phase

China society

Opinion | Why China’s AI automation push is a risky social experiment

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China jobs

China’s youth unemployment falls for sixth consecutive month in February

But young job-hunters say they are still struggling to find work in a testing post-holiday labour market amid rising global economic uncertainty.

Young people line up at career guidance booths during a job fair in Beijing on March 14 as China’s youth unemployment rate grows amid a testing post-holiday labour market. Photo: Reuters
China technology

Can AI help China cushion economic fallout from its rapidly ageing population?

As fertility rates fall, Asian economies face a daunting challenge – sustaining growth with fewer workers.

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China consumption

Beijing urged to boost rural pensions as lawmakers fight for farmers’ fair share

Appeals highlight a long-standing lack of benefits for elderly citizens outside cities, and proposals include leveraging state assets and new taxes to bridge the vast disparity.

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South Korea

China and South Korea team up on a vexing issue: their fast-ageing populations

After years of tense relations, the two nations are finding common ground over their need to adapt to an era of ‘super-aged societies’.

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An elderly resident interacts with a humanoid robot at a care home in Shenzhen, China’s southern Guangdong province. Photo: Xinhua
China birth rate

Glimmer of hope? Why China’s marriage uptick could spark 2026 birth rebound

Double-digit jump in registration rate, boosted by policy and cultural tradition, offers modest upturn, but demographers are wary of weak fertility intentions.

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China society

Opinion | A loneliness crisis is the price China is paying for rapid modernisation

As migrant workers head home for the Lunar New Year break, it is a good time to reflect on how the loneliness that has gripped Chinese society can be alleviated.

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Hong Kong population

Opinion | Boost birth rates? Governments should focus on the population they have

Instead of growing the population at all costs, governments should be practically addressing longer life expectancies.

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People shop with their pets in New Town Plaza in Sha Tin, on September 21, 2025. Photo: Sam Tsang

Video | Other policies such as offering prenatal checks to retirees have been mocked online

Other policies such as offering prenatal checks to retirees have been mocked online.

Deepdive birthrate
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Chinese overseas

China’s brain gain: overseas grads plug into domestic frontiers, powering future

Record jump in returnees seen reflecting confidence in some domestic opportunities, particularly in areas such as AI, advanced manufacturing.

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Mainland China

Silver bullet: New Oriental strategy pivots to China’s silver economy

China’s leading private education firm tests new growth paths, amid demographic shifts and softer demand for US-bound study.

China's economic recovery

Open Questions | Lawrence Lau’s recipe for China? More school, higher pay

Economist on how China can improve its workforce, why it needs more basic research and the benefits a unified market in the Greater Bay Area would bring.

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Illustration: Henry Wong
China society

Letters | Fewer newborns in China may point to a more humane future

Readers discuss why a shrinking population is not a policy failure, and the bottled water procurement scandal.

Children and adults take rides in a park in Fuyang, Anhui province in 2025. Photo: AFP
Trending in China

‘Loneliness economy’: how China is adapting to a rapid rise in solo living

The viral success of check-in app Are You Dead? has exposed the vast demand for services catering to China’s rapidly growing single population.

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Hong Kong society

Opinion | Hong Kong must tackle the challenges of a super-aged society head on

With both Hong Kong and mainland China unlikely to be able to reverse the decline in birth rates, investing effectively in human capital is crucial.

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China GDP

China may cut GDP goal, Trump at Davos, Starmer visit

This week: China may lower its economic growth target, Trump shakes up Davos, Chinese births hit record low. Next week: British Prime Minister Keir Starmer visits China, EU likely to mandate technology transfers, last giant pandas leave Japan, and more.

Photo: AFP
China society

Opinion | In China, the pressure on women to marry is deadly serious

Wedding-day death of Henan teacher highlights desperation of young women caught between modern hopes and traditional expectations.

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China birth rate

Baby bust: China births plunge 17% in 2025 to historic low as population shrinks

With Beijing having accelerated family-support policies and childcare subsidies, analysts warn that structural reforms are vital to arrest the deepening slide.

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China society

Outside In | We are speeding towards a demography of loneliness

The swarming sociability of family life is fading as one-person households and lonely deaths rise. Coping with loneliness is now a life skill.

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Around the world, more people are growing up as only children; marrying late, if at all; having children late, if at all; and living alone in old age. Photo: Shutterstock
China society

Opinion | Without pension reform, China is leaving its rural elderly out in the cold

What looks like a side-effect of ‘coal-to-gas’ heating programmes is really a structural issue: rural pensions are not enough to live on.

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A worker sweeps snow in the town of Zhengding in north China’s Hebei province on January 5, 2020. Photo: Xinhua
China economy

Opinion | Why China is still struggling to ‘invest in people’

To boost demand, Beijing must upend its long-held mantra of production over livelihoods and investment over consumption.

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China birth rate

China eyes childcare overhaul with a law to boost births, fix demographic crisis

Proposed legislation seeks to lower child-rearing costs and standardise services, especially for children under three, to ease the burden on parents.

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China society

China’s fertility push: IVF grants grow, but high costs still deter couples

Local governments are subsidising a portion of expensive treatments, but experts warn that cash handouts will not fix the economic pressure of raising a family.

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With China’s infertility rate estimated at 12 to 15 per cent, assisted reproduction is seen as a potential lever. Photo: AFP
Science

Sperm quality decline: could easy-to-use balm from China solve the crisis?

In China, unhealthy lifestyles, pollution and work-related stress are cited in public health discussions around declining sperm quality.

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A national reproductive health survey in 2021 indicated one in nearly six couples of childbearing age faced difficulties in starting a family. Photo: Getty Images
Mainland China

China to cover childbirth costs for all in latest bid to avert population crisis

Aim is to achieve ‘no out-of-pocket expenses’ for baby deliveries, along with better coverage for prenatal check-ups and labour pain relief.

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China's ageing population

Living to 79: China’s record longevity puts economic wrinkles in focus

Improved healthcare outcomes are colliding with China’s three-year population decline, testing social safety nets despite improvements in medical infrastructure.

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