The Chinese government reported on Friday that the country’s population declined for the third consecutive year in 2024, signaling further global shifts in demographics, particularly after India overtook China as the world’s most populous nation in 2023.

China’s population stood at 1.408 billion by the end of 2024, a decrease of 1.39 million compared to the previous year. The country is now grappling with an aging population and a shortage of working-age individuals.

The figures announced by Beijing align with global trends, particularly in East Asia, where countries like Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, and others have experienced sharp declines in birth rates.

Three years ago, China joined the ranks of nations like Japan and much of Eastern Europe that are seeing a decline in their populations.