China announces first population decline in recent years

BEIJING (AP) — China has announced its first overall population decline in recent years amid an aging society and plunging birthrate. The National Bureau of Statistics reported the country had 850,000 fewer people at the end of 2022 than over the previous year. It counts only the population of mainland China while excluding Hong Kong, Macao and self-governing Taiwan as well as foreign residents. That left a total of 1.411.75 billion, with 9.56 million births against 10.41 million deaths, the bureau said at a briefing on Tuesday. Men also continued...