China's Population Declines for Second Consecutive Year Despite Government Efforts

China's population declined for the second consecutive year, with record-low births and a surge in Covid-19 deaths contributing to the drop. The birthrate of 6.39 per thousand was the lowest since 1949, and the number of deaths exceeded 11 million, the highest since 1974. Despite government efforts to encourage more births, including easing family planning policies, young people cite reasons such as work-life balance, high living costs, and traditional gender roles for their reluctance to have families. The declining and aging population has raised concerns about labor shortages and economic growth, prompting calls to raise the retirement age and develop a "silver economy" to cater to the needs of older people.