China's looming crisis is its continuous population decline and economic challenges: Explained in 10 points

China's population fell for a third consecutive year in 2024, with the number of deaths outpacing a slight increase in births, and experts cautioning that the trend will accelerate in the coming years. The National Bureau of Statistics said the total number of people in China dropped by 1.39 million to 1.408 billion in 2024, compared to 1.409 billion in 2023. The data reinforces concerns that the world's second largest economy will struggle as the number of workers and consumers declines.