Census data for three counties in China’s southeast Sichuan Province revealed that the population drop during the first year of the pandemic was as high as 22 percent.
China’s population shrank for the first time in decades last year as its birthrate plunged, official figures showed Tuesday, adding to pressure on leaders to keep the economy growing despite an aging workforce and at a time of rising tension with the U.S.
Barely two in five people believe their families will be better off in the future, according to a regular global survey that also identified growing levels of distrust in institutions among low-income households.
The World Health Organization asked China to continue to release COVID-19 data after the country reported that nearly 60,000 people have died with the virus since early December.