China’s population falls again as births drop 17% a decade after the 1-child policy ended
BANGKOK, January 19, 2026 (AP) — How do you convince a population to have more babies after generations of a policy that limited families to just one? A decade after ending China’s longtime, one-child policy, authorities are pushing a whole range of ideas and policies to try and encourage more births, ranging from cash subsidies to taxing condoms. The efforts haven’t paid off yet. At least, that is what population figures released Monday show for what is now the world’s second-most populous nation. China’s population of 1.4 billion continued to shrink, marking the fourth straight year of decrease, new government