BEIJING, Jan 19, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - China's birth rate fell last year to its lowest level on record, official data showed Monday, as its population shrank for a fourth year running despite authorities' efforts to curb the decline.

There were just 7.92 million births recorded in 2025, a rate of 5.63 births per 1,000 people -- the lowest level since records began in 1949, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.