China’s population is shrinking faster than at any point in modern history, with births falling to record lows and deaths outpacing new arrivals for a fourth consecutive year. Once seen as the engine of China’s economic rise, population size has become a structural constraint as the country enters an era of ultra-low fertility and rapid aging. Despite an expanding range of pro-natalist policies, many young Chinese are choosing not to have children amid economic uncertainty, high living costs and shifting social expectations. Is China already past the point of demographic reversal — and what does that mean for its economy, national power and global influence? In this episode, we examine China’s demographic turning points, why fertility decline is so hard to reverse, and what lessons China’s experience holds for Taiwan and other aging societies.
*Recorded on February 2, 2026 at 3pm Taiwan Standard Time
Host: Ethan Liu
Producer: Tina Hsu
Our guests:
Yen-hsin Alice Cheng
- Academia Sinica Institute of Sociology Professor and Research Fellow
Lake Lui
- National Taiwan University Sociology Professor
Daniel Goodkind
- Former US Census Bureau International Programs Senior Demographer
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