Demographics

All news and posts of our editorial team on the topic

Growth is falling – and the population is declining
After zero-Covid, full Covid has taken its toll on the economy. But as immunity progresses, economic recovery is considered certain for 2023. However, the declining population is a cause for concern in the long term. continue reading →
China’s population shrinks faster than expected
China's population growth is about to take a hard turn. China's population could already reach its peak by the end of the year. Demographers warn of a rapidly declining birth rate. The CP must act quickly and thoroughly, but so far it has been setting the wrong priorities. continue reading →
Renewed population decline in Hong Kong
Hong Kong is currently experiencing its steepest population decline since record-keeping began in 1961, with the number of residents dropping by 1.6 percent year-on-year to 7,291,600 by mid-2022, according to the statistics bureau. More people have left than moved in. The reasons cited by the government were a lower influx of new workers as a […] continue reading →
UN report on population: India surpasses China
India could overtake China as the world’s most populous country as early as next year. This is according to the World Population Prospects, an annual demographic report on the state of the world’s population, published by the UN on Monday. India and China would then each have more than 1.4 billion inhabitants. In China, population […] continue reading →
Jiangsu increases maternity leave pay
China’s Jiangsu Province will provide financial support to companies regarding maternity leave. Companies will receive subsidies for paying insurance premiums for female employees during their second and third maternity leaves, the South China Morning Post reports. According to the report, authorities will reimburse 50 to 80 percent of social security payments for women who have […] continue reading →
Zero-covid policy stands in the way of vaccines for the elderly
China's government has no problem with draconian curfews, but is hesitant to impose mandatory vaccinations for the elderly. The latter often reject the immunization for fear of side effects. Moreover, authorities get in each other's way, preventing a successful vaccination campaign. continue reading →
China presents plan to improve elderly care
China’s authorities plan to improve healthcare access for elderly citizens. This is according to a recently published Five-Year plan for elderly care, reported by South China Morning Post. According to the report, the plan highlights the urgent need to improve health services for the elderly. Due to a sharp decline in birth rate and low […] continue reading →
Giant babies, rebels or new nationalists
China's young generation is very self-conscious, optimistic, and patriotic. China's global rise is already a fact to them. However, they have no desire to produce many grandchildren in the interests of population planning. The propaganda already wants to "hammer" into shape. And all of this is also related to the director of the Olympic show. continue reading →
Birth rate drops to record low
China’s population has once again grown very slowly – by 480,000 to a population of 1.413 billion in 2021. These figures were published by the National Bureau of Statistics of China in Beijing on Monday. Officials are particularly concerned about the birth rate: According to official figures, the number of newborns fell by 11.5 percent […] continue reading →
Million social housing units planned
China plans to build a total of 6.5 million affordable rental apartments in 40 major cities by 2025. The Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Construction made the announcement on Tuesday. These apartments are expected to account for about a quarter of all new housing in the cities in question and benefit 13 million young people […] continue reading →
Childcare Leave in China
The introduction of childcare leave in China is intended to help drive up the birth rate again. The leave is limited to only a few days, which is far less than what is customary in Europe. But it is a start that can be expanded upon in the future. However, the rules vary considerably from province to province. continue reading →
Shaanxi to introduce one year maternity leave
The Chinese province of Shaanxi is planning to extend paid maternity leave to just under a year. The proposal is intended to increase the birth rate. So far, mothers are entitled to 168 days of maternity leave. Extending it by another six months would put Shaanxi’s standard on par with Germany and Norway, Reuters reported. […] continue reading →
China labor shortage – HR strategies to remain a competitive employer
The China labor shortage is driving companies to reassess their HR policies to improve worker retention. It is not always a question of financial incentives. continue reading →
Young people doubt marriage
Many young people in China’s cities are growing skeptical about marriage. The reluctance is even stronger among women than men, according to a survey by the Communist Youth League. Some 44 percent of the women surveyed said they did not want to marry or were unsure whether they wanted to tie the knot, DPA reported. […] continue reading →
Beijing wants fewer abortions
The Chinese government wants to limit the number of abortions performed for “non-medical reasons,” according to new government guidelines released on Monday. “The basic national policy of gender equality and the principle of giving priority to children needs to be implemented in depth,” said Huang Xiaowei, deputy director of the State Council’s National Working Committee […] continue reading →
Foreigners in China: a fleeting minority?
The shine of China's free-market reforms is peeling off due to constant arbitrary interference by nation and party. And even with Beijing's policy of opening up the country, which it has promised for the past 40 years, no state can be formed upon. This has once again been proven by the low number of foreigners residing in China. The new census counted 845,697 foreigners in the whole country. This equals only 0.06 percent of the population. With its proportion of foreigners, the supposedly globalized People's Republic brings up the rear among all other major nations. continue reading →
Three-child policy: China’s planners cut chives
China's leadership has never changed its policy this quickly. Last Friday, the People's Congress allowed China's women to give birth to three children. Fears of a population decline, rapid aging and a shortage of young workers tipped the scales in favor of the radical departure from its former one-child society. But China's censors are now hardly able to suppress outrage among the population: If China now faces a low birthrate, why was there a need for cruel coercion in the past? continue reading →
Government to take action against dancing grannies
It’s hard to imagine squares, shopping malls and parks in China without dancing elderly. By the hundreds of millions, they populate the public squares in early morning hours as well as in the evening and keep themselves physically fit by dancing to loud pop, techno or even propaganda music. For years, however, a dispute has […] continue reading →