China's Emptying Nests: A Population Puzzle

Everyone knows China has a lot of people, right? But guess what? That's been changing recently. Over the past three years, the country's population has actually been shrinking. Even a recent boost in births, for the first time in seven years, couldn't stop this trend. So, what's the big deal? Well, it's sending shockwaves through China's economy. Hospitals are closing their baby-welcoming wards because, well, there aren't many babies to greet anymore. Baby food factories are slowing down their production lines because fewer kids mean less demand.In just 2023, more than 170, 000 preschool teachers lost their jobs as kindergartens shut down. One former kindergarten in Chongqing painted a pretty bleak picture, likening the birthrate to a steep cliff plunge. Kindergarten enrollments saw a massive drop of over five million in the same year. It seems China's shrinking population is leaving its mark on many parts of society.