China said Friday that its population fell for the third straight year in 2024, falling by almost 1.4 million to 1.408 billion. Elsewhere in Asia, Japan's population has been falling for 15 years, while South Korea's growth turned negative in 2021. In Italy, the number of births has fallen below 400,000 for the first time since the 19th century.

China’s population dynamics remain a critical challenge for its economic and social stability. Despite a modest rise in births in 2024, the nation’s population shrank for the third consecutive year, highlighting systemic issues that years of government interventions have yet to resolve.

China’s population shrank for a third straight year in 2024, standing at 1.408 billion—a decline of 1.39 million compared to the previous year, China’s National Bureau of Statistics reported on Friday.