China's Birthrate Decline Threatens Economic and Social Stability

China’s population has stalled at about 1.42 billion and is now falling, reversing decades of growth. Experts attribute the plunge to the legacy of the One‑Child Policy, lingering economic pressures and a gender imbalance of roughly 35 million more men than women. Demographers such as Yi Fuxian warn that the country could shrink to around 330 million by 2100, far below the United States, with profound implications for the labour force, elder‑care burden and national power.

Government attempts to reverse the trend have so far failed; policies to raise fertility have proven ineffective, and some commentators even suggest industrialised reproduction as a distant solution. The demographic slowdown is seen by analysts as a “gray rhino” risk that could erode China’s economic dynamism and geopolitical influence if not addressed.