Population

Japan's population falls by half a million, marking 14th year of decline

Overall population dropped by 550,000 from the previous year to 123.8 million in 2024, extending the streak of declines, according to data as of October 2024 released by Internal Affairs Ministry

Millennials, GenZs say 'maybe later, baby': US birth rates hit 40-year low

The general fertility rate in the US decreased by 3 per cent in 2023, dropping to 54.5 births per 1,000 females aged 15 to 44, according to US National Center for Health Statistics

Shenzhen, Hangzhou boom as China's workforce moves toward tech hubs

Shenzhen, China's Silicon Valley, attracted young talent in 2024, boosting its permanent population by 199,400 to 17.99 million

China's marriage rate hits 40-year low in 2024, deepening population woes

Given that most births in China occur within marriage, this downward trend in marriage rates is expected to push birth figures even lower in 2025

Unwarranted delay in conducting Census hurting many social policies: Cong

The Congress on Thursday hit out at the Modi government for not getting the decadal Census done, saying this "unwarranted delay" is hurting many social policies and programmes. Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh shared a media report on X which said that with the decadal Census exercise pending since 2021 and unlikely to be conducted this year, at least two other key reports on births and deaths in the country have not been released by the Union Home Ministry for the past five years. "This unwarranted delay in conducting the decadal Census, due in 2021 but still not conducted, is hurting many social policies and programmes - including reservations for scheduled castes and scheduled tribes, and food security entitlements," Ramesh said on X. The Congress on Saturday had said it is "highly disappointing" that Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's Budget speech made no mention of releasing funds for the decadal population census. The party had pointed out

56% of Telangana population belongs to backward classes, shows data

The survey, which was conducted over 50 days from November 6, 2024, engaged 103,000 enumerators and 10,000 supervisors

More countries are grappling with shrinking and aging populations

A growing number of countries are confronting the dual challenges of population decline and aging, as younger generations opt to have fewer children and advances in healthcare extend life expectancy. China said Friday that its population fell for the third straight year in 2024, falling by almost 1.4 million to 1.408 billion. Elsewhere in Asia, Japan's population has been falling for 15 years, while South Korea's growth turned negative in 2021. In Italy, the number of births has fallen below 400,000 for the first time since the 19th century. The population has peaked in 63 countries and territories, about half in Europe, the United Nations says. The UN projects another 48 will hit their peak over the next 30 years. Globally, the population of 8.2 billion people is still growing, with the UN projecting it will reach 10.3 billion in roughly 60 years and then start to decline. For many countries with shrinking populations, the slow-moving but hard-to-reverse trend has prompted ...

China's population decline continues for third year in a row: Here's why

Population decline is not unique to China, East Asian countries such as Japan and South Korea, have also experienced decreases in birth rates

Tianmen's birth boom: Here's how the city defied China's population decline

Tianmen, with 1 million residents, saw 1,050 more babies in 2024, defying China's declining births and ageing population, key challenges to the nation's economic sustainability

Ticking time: India just 33 years away from getting 'old', says report

In terms of India integrating with the world, the report notes that it can benefit from being increasingly important for the world

'Greatest threat': Elon Musk warns of population decline in India, China

The Tesla Owners Silicon Valley account, which originally shared the data, emphasised the seriousness of the issue, stating, 'Population collapse is humanity's greatest threat'

World population will be 8.09 bn on New Year's Day: US census estimates

The world population increased by more than 71 million people in 2024 and will be 8.09 billion people on New Year's Day, according to US Census Bureau estimates released Monday. The 0.9 per cent increase in 2024 was a slight slowdown from 2023, when the world population grew by 75 million people. In January 2025, 4.2 births and 2.0 deaths were expected worldwide every second, according to the estimates. The United States grew by 2.6 million people in 2024, and the US population on New Year's Day will be 341 million people, according to the Census Bureau. The United States was expected to have one birth every 9 seconds and one death every 9.4 seconds in January 2025. International migration was expected to add one person to the US population every 23.2 seconds. The combination of births, deaths and net international migration will increase the US population by one person every 21.2 seconds, the Census Bureau said. So far in the 2020s, the US population has grown by almost 9.7 milli

The India story: Population explosion or declining fertility rate?

India has become most populous nation. But with fertility rate slowing, there are concerns that it may grow old before getting rich. The second part of the series explores demographic challenges

Immigration drives US population growth to highest rate in 23 years

Immigration to the United States in 2024 drove US population growth to its fastest rate in 23 years as the nation surpassed 340 million residents, the US Census Bureau said Thursday. The 1% growth rate this year was the highest it has been since 2001, and it was a marked contrast to the record low of 0.2% set in 2021 at the height of pandemic restrictions on travel to the United States, according to the annual population estimates. Immigration this year increased by 2.8 million people, partly because of a new method of counting that adds people who were admitted for humanitarian reasons. Net international migration accounted for 84% of the nation's 3.3 million-person increase between 2023 and 2024. Births outnumbered deaths in the United States by almost 519,000 between 2023 and 2024, which was an improvement over the historic low of 146,000 in 2021 but still well below the highs of previous decades. The group of people being included in the international migration estimates are th

Hong Kong's IVF rules send people into black market for eggs, embryos

At a time Hong Kong is trying to reverse one of world's lowest birth rates, residents seeking to have a baby outside of traditional means are running into strict rules on fertility treatments

RSS head Mohan Bhagwat wants every Indian family to have 3 kids. Here's why

RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat advocates for every Indian family to have three children. Here's what he said and why his comments are stirring a debate

RSS chief bats for fertility rate of 'at least 3' to halt population fall

Expressing concern over declining population growth, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Sunday said the total fertility rate in India should be at least 3, well above the fertility rate of 2.1 per cent that is considered as the population replacement rate. Speaking at the 'Kathale Kul (clan) Sammelan' in Nagpur, Bhagwat also highlighted the vital role of families, and warned that according to population science, if a society's total fertility rate dips below 2.1, it could face extinction. A declining population is a serious concern. Demographic studies suggest that when a society's total fertility rate falls below 2.1, it risks facing extinction. This decline does not necessarily require external threats; a society can gradually fade away on its own, Bhagwat said. Many languages and cultures have already disappeared due to this issue. Thus, it is essential to maintain a fertility rate above 2.1," Bhagwat said, and emphasized that "kutumb" (family) is an integral part of society and every ..

Iraq launches its first nationwide census in nearly four decades

The last nationwide census was held in 1987 in Iraq, followed by a census in 1997 which did not include certain Kurdish regions

Villages with population of 50 and above to get roads by 2030: CM Dhami

A special process will be created to determine the responsibility of contractors and engineers to improve the quality of roads

Population growth to fertility rate: What census 2025 might reveal

The census would set the stage for the delimitation exercise and introduction of the Women Reservation Act