China records 1st recent population decline as births plunge

A girl wearing a face mask rides on a man's shoulders as they walk along a tourist shopping street in Beijing on Oct. 7, 2022. [AP Photo]

China has announced its first overall population decline in recent years amid an aging society and plunging birthrate.

The National Bureau of Statistics reported the country had 850,000 fewer people at the end of 2022 than over the previous year. It counts only the population of mainland China while excluding Hong Kong and Macao as well as foreign residents.