China’s shrinking population: what it means for the rest of the world - expert panel

A woman holds a child as she walks across a street in Hangzhou. China's population shrank last year for the first time in more than six decades and the world's most populous country faces a looming demographic crisis. Photograph: AFP/Getty Images

China has entered a period of “negative population growth”, an important moment in the history of the country. As recently as 2019, the UN projected the population would peak in 2031-32, but despite major government efforts to reverse the trend, China has now begun what is expected to be a long period of population decline.

The ongoing shift in demographics could have a profound effect on everything from how the economy operates to Xi Jinping’s legitimacy. The Guardian spoke to experts about the implications for everything from climate change to the Chinese Communist party.