population crisis · Full chronicle and history

According to sentinel surveillance data from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, in the 29th week of 2026 (July 13 to 19), the COVID-19 test positivity rate in China surpassed that of influenza, remaining the leading respiratory pathogen for several consecutive weeks.

In the first half of 2026, the proportion of Chinese homeowners over the age of 60 listing their properties for sale soared to 22.7%, a significant increase from 11.3% in 2022.

In a conversation, Morgan Stanley's Chief Economist for China, Xing Ziqiang, pointed out that China's social security expenditure accounts for only about 8% of GDP, far below the OECD average of 25% and the levels of developing countries with similar per capita GDP, and also mentioned group disparities in the enjoyment of public services.

On September 19, population expert Huang Wenzheng published an article refuting National Health Commission Director Lei Haichao's statement that the labor force is sufficient. He pointed out that 8-million annual births cannot sustain long-term scale and warned of a demographic collapse in 20 years without substantial improvements in fertility support. The article was subsequently deleted.

On September 3, a netizen posted a video pointing out that their employees' monthly salary is 4,000 yuan, but the social security contribution base is far higher than the actual wage, resulting in an extra deduction of over 130 yuan per month from employees. The netizen believes this exacerbates cash flow pressure on low-income earners, with some job seekers even actively requesting to waive social security in exchange for cash. Netizens in the comment section discussed this, pointing out the excessive gap between the minimum wage and the contribution base, and calling for an increase in the minimum wage and protection of working hours.

On September 14, a community in Dongying City, Shandong Province announced the implementation of the "Young-Old Service for the Elderly" project, encouraging people aged 60 to 70 to provide public services for seniors aged 70 to 90. The policy sparked heated public debate, with netizens questioning it as a disguised forced labor amid pension shortfalls.

On September 5, netizens reported that nearly two months after the floods in Hengzhou, Guangxi, some elderly residents under the Five Guarantees system and impoverished households are still sleeping on damp floors because their beds were washed away and they received no aid. Volunteers have now launched a survey and fundraising campaign to buy folding beds, sparking public questioning of disaster relief distribution and government support capabilities.

The World Economic Forum released the 2026 Global Gender Gap Report, ranking China 96th overall, with the sex ratio at birth indicator ranking third from the bottom globally.

On September 14, Lei Haichao, Director of the National Health Commission, stated that in the face of negative population growth, the fundamentals of China's total population remain unchanged. He proposed actively promoting views on marriage and childbearing, resisting negative views on marriage and childbearing, and simultaneously promoting the integration of childcare and preschool education while reducing the costs of giving birth and raising children.

According to a Caixin report, many contract teachers in Guangzhou’s Huangpu, Haizhu, Panyu and Huadu districts were dismissed by schools before their contracts expired. Due to declining birthrates, primary school enrollment in Guangzhou fell sharply by about 19.9% from 2023 to 2025, and contract teachers who had been hired in large numbers to cope with enrollment peaks now bear the brunt of layoffs.

On September 12, 2026, netizens filmed a "Socialist Core Values" propaganda board on Shuoyuan Road in Linhe District, Bayannur City, Inner Mongolia, with two homeless people sleeping on the ground behind the board. After the video was posted, the platform cleared the comment section of the video and prohibited further comments, resulting in censorship.

On September 10, 2026, a Douyin user waiting at a hospital saw a man slap a woman sitting in a wheelchair with his palm, the sound extremely loud. The woman had a needle in her hand, picking up a shoe from the floor while retorting, “You keep hitting, hit me to death.” The man then snarled, “It cost me several thousand yuan to bring you to the hospital; believe it or not, I’ll kill you when we go back.” The netizen said the woman seemed accustomed to being beaten. No follow‑up handling of the incident was seen.

On September 11, a video circulated online showing a girl searching for and eating leftover food from a trash can, which garnered widespread attention and shares. The comment section for the related video was strictly limited, displaying only 3 comments, while a large number of netizens used bullet comments to express sarcasm and commentary.

Affected by the decline in the birth population and the concentration of population in urban areas, the number of primary schools in China has rapidly decreased. Data from the Ministry of Education shows that the number of regular primary schools nationwide has decreased by about 29,700 in five years. Many places have begun to revitalize and utilize idle rural primary and secondary school buildings, converting them into facilities such as elderly care service centers, highlighting the background of accelerating low birth rates and aging population.

On September 11, Wang Huning, Chairman of the CPPCC National Committee of the CCP, met with the Speaker of the National Assembly of Angola in Beijing. Wang Dongfeng, Vice Chairman of the CPPCC, who usually accompanies Wang Huning in meetings with foreign guests, was not present, while Hu Chunhua sat on Wang Huning's right and made a public appearance. Related reports also stated that after months of internal maneuvering, the CCP reached a consensus no later than June to adhere to the collective leadership system, and that Xi Jinping may have made compromises due to health reasons or an inability to suppress opposition forces.

On September 9, the financial account Gelonghui Tuji Tianxia released data stating that the number of primary schools in China has decreased by approximately 86% over 45 years.

On August 28, official data showed that China's annual birth population in 2025 was only 7.92 million, continuing the downward trend in births.

An employee of a new mobilization automobile supplier worked 31 days in August, with a total work time of 474 hours, averaging 15.8 hours per day, and a maximum of 17.5 hours in a single day, sparking concerns over labor exploitation.

On the 50th anniversary of the Tangshan earthquake, CCP leader Xi Jinping was absent from the commemorative activities, with Premier Li Qiang attending on his behalf to conduct inspections, offer condolences, and present a flower basket.

Residents of Victoria Bay in the West Coast New Area of Qingdao discovered that land planned for a kindergarten and a community hospital had been mortgaged and auctioned off as industrial land. Since July 27, they have been gathering outside the residential complex, demanding that higher-level authorities intervene and investigate.

During a rights defense gathering by property owners at Victoria Bay, police set up human walls and privacy screens; that evening, some owners were cleared by police and taken away.

Lu Kewen posted that, excluding rural elderly, China's pensions are higher than those in Japan, South Korea, and France when calculated by the ratio of national income, and argued that this situation puts excessive pressure on public finance and will inevitably lead to comprehensive cuts in the future.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that he has convened a 'deep strike' meeting and updated the list of priority targets for long-range sanctions against Russia, with Ukrainian military strike capabilities now exceeding 3,000 kilometers.

Affected by short-term heavy rainfall, a mudslide occurred in Jiuzhaigou, Sichuan, causing road closures. Approximately 2,300 tourists had to leave their buses and trek several kilometers down the mountain in the dark through the landslide area.

Former American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) Director Brent Christensen wrote an article on the Brookings Institution website stating that current U.S.-Taiwan relations are at their strongest and most comprehensive point since the establishment of diplomatic ties in 1979.

A Caixin interview cited data stating that as of the end of 2024, approximately 180 million urban and rural residents were receiving a basic pension, averaging 246 yuan per month; in 2024, the average monthly pension for urban employees was approximately 3,825 yuan, more than 15 times the former.

The Washington Post obtained two of North Korea's latest smartphone models, revealing that their official applications cover functions such as e-wallets, ride-hailing, food delivery, movie tickets, navigation, online banking, and pharmaceutical delivery.

The article states that Beijing has adopted measures such as retaliating against the EU's Net-Zero Industry Act, restricting foreign direct investment, and implementing export controls on rare earths to Japan to maintain its export markets.

Official sources in Jiuzhaigou claim that tourists have been safely evacuated with no casualties, framing the emergency response as a "heartwarming protection" and "a narrow escape without incident."

After Lu Kewen publicly discussed the pension gap in China and the issue of pensions for those inside the system, his Weibo account was 404'd.

North Korea currently has over 6.35 million mobile phone users, with about 24 domestic mobile phone brands nationwide. QR code payments are already available on the streets of Pyongyang and at some roadside stalls.

Staff at a market in Fangshan, Beijing, inspect meat vendors' knives to ensure they comply with regulations, are chained, and that their size and sharpness do not exceed standards.

A violent explosion occurred at a fireworks factory in Liuyang, Changsha, Hunan, causing widespread destruction with casualties exceeding one hundred people.

The Ministry of Civil Affairs and eleven other departments jointly issued opinions on promoting the development of mutual aid elderly care services, proposing to achieve a coverage rate of no less than 70% for urban and rural community elderly care service systems by 2030.

The global commercial organization World Data Organization (WDO) held its inaugural conference in Beijing, drawing high-profile state media promotion, though it has been pointed out as essentially a shady shell company lacking international legal basis.

During the UN General Assembly in September 2025, Ukrainian President Zelenskyy warned the Russian leadership that Ukraine knows the locations of their bunkers.

In 2025, China's annual birth population was only 7.92 million, hitting the lowest record since the implementation of the two-child policy in 2016.

The article states that China's exports reached $3.8 trillion last year, setting a record trade surplus of $1.2 trillion, the largest in history.

According to data from the China Childbearing Cost Report, excluding extra expenses such as school district housing, the cost of raising a child in China to age 18 or university graduation is extremely high, leading to a precipitous drop in China's birth rate.

Data shows that in 2024, the annual number of criminal cases filed by Chinese police (Public Security) exceeded 10 million, a sharp increase compared to 2000, with the majority of short-sentence cases involving various "pocket crimes."

An article in Foreign Affairs estimates that China's share of global GDP has fallen from a peak of 18.5% in 2021 to 16.7% by official estimates, with actual estimates being around 15%.

North Korea opened mobile phone services in 2008, and has since gradually developed its own mobile phone user base and domestic mobile phone brands.

In the early morning of July 28, 1976, a 7.8-magnitude earthquake struck Tangshan, Hebei Province, causing massive casualties and property damage.

1961 was the most brutal year of China's Three Years of Natural Disasters, during which over 10 million Chinese people starved to death, and cannibalism even occurred in rural areas. Despite this, 9.49 million newborns were born that year.

Zhao Hanqi, a former Kuomintang military general who resisted Soviet invasions in the defense battles of Yining and Aksu in Xinjiang and later participated in the Xinjiang Peaceful Liberation, was publicly executed by the Chinese Communist Party during the Suppression of Counterrevolutionaries campaign at the age of 39.