China's population has fallen for the first time in 60 years

This was reported by The New York Time, citing China's National Bureau of Statistics.

According to journalists, the number of deaths in the PRC exceeded the number of births for the year.

Last year, 9.56 million people were born in China, while 10.41 million people died. The last time the death rate exceeded the birth rate was at the time of Mao Zedong, in 1958-1960.

According to the National Bureau of Statistics, the birth rate has declined for the sixth year in a row. By 2035, 400 million people in the PRC are expected to be over 60, accounting for almost a third of the population. The labor shortage and rapidly aging population will result in reduced tax revenues and contributions to the pension system, which is already under enormous pressure.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping has already called the country's demographic problems a priority, promising a "national policy system aimed at boosting the birth rate".