China’s Population Falls, Heralding a Demographic Crisis
This is a major news event. Do not downplay it. Demographers have known for a long time that China&#x27;s population was aging at an accelerated rate and the ratio of workers to retirees was shrinking, from 10:1 during the Maoist era to 4:1 or 3:1 today. China&#x27;s population growth had slowed in the last two decades. But I did not think I would see this happen so soon.<p>The CCP might see a smaller population as easier to manage and control. But with the greying of China&#x27;s workforce will come significant economic pressures. It will be more difficult for China to sustain high growth with a shrinking population. Actually, scratch that. It will be impossible. Welcome to the 2% annual growth club. It will also be difficult to escape the middle income trap.<p>China got old before it got rich.<p>The cynic in me would say that the CCP would turn a blind eye to leting Covid rip through the country in order to purge the ranks of economically unproductive seniors.