Dwindling Number of Childbearing-Age Women Worsening China’s Birthrate Slump, Official Says

The declining number of women of childbearing age, especially those aged 20 to 34, is a major factor contributing to China’s flagging birthrates, a health official said, after data showed the birthrate hit a record low in 2021.

Yang Jinrui, deputy director of the National Health Commission’s population surveillance and family development department, said at a press conference Thursday that the number of women in the 20-34 age group decreased by an average of 3.4 million per year from 2016 to 2020, and the decline reached 4.73 million in 2021 compared to 2020.