Mainland China saw its population decline for the third straight year in 2024, government data showed Friday, with the graying of the world's second-largest economy accelerating despite the scrapping of its "one-child policy" in 2016.The population of China, excluding Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao, reached 1,408.28 million by the end of 2024, down 1.39 million from the previous year. The ratio of those aged 65 or older inched up 0.2 percentage point to 15.6 percent.The birthrate recovered to 6.77 per 1,000 people from 6.39 in 2023, its lowest level since 1949, when Mao Zedong founded the Comm…READ FULL ARTICLE
