China's population shrinks for the first time in six decades

China's population shrinks for the first time in six decades

SHANGHAI -- China's population shrank last year for the first time since the early 1960s, jeopardizing President Xi Jinping's ambition to overtake the U.S. as the world's biggest economy.
 
Data released on Tuesday by the National Bureau of Statistics showed China's population stood at 1.41175 billion in 2022. The birthrate was the lowest on record, and the death rate the highest since 1976. The natural population growth rate was a negative 0.6 per thousand, a slide from 2021's 0.34.