China’s population set to decrease
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China could soon reveal census data that shows its population is falling – its first decline since the Great Chinese Famine 60 years ago
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POPULATION (millions)
POPULATION GROWTH (%)

2020 
2010
2000
1990
1980
1970
1960
1950

400 600 800 1000 1200 1400 -0.5 0 0.5 1 1.5 2
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President Xi Jinping is facing likelihood of economic slowdown*

First fall in population since 1960

REGISTERED MARRIAGES (millions) 
2015 12.24
2020 8.13

*Assumed office 2013
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1958-62, Great Chinese Famine: Under stewardship of Chairman Mao Zedong (above), People’s Republic of China initiates Great Leap Forward programme of industrialisation that leads to widespread starvation and deaths of between 15-55 million Chinese
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Sources: Financial Times (Haver Analytics, National Bureau of Statistics), New York Times
(U.S. Census Bureau, International Data Base), Nikkei (Ministry of Civil Affairs)
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