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China’s population decline does not spell doom
Demography is not destiny. Broader economic reforms that allocate capital better and make labour more productive can blunt the impact of a shrinking population.
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China's total population could fall below 700 million by the end of the century, which would be less than half the 1.4 billion now.
PHOTO: EPA-EFE
Bert Hofman
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It is no surprise that China’s National Bureau of Statistics’ (NBS) quarterly press releases on its gross domestic product (GDP) statistics are closely followed. After all, it is the second-largest economy in the world – the largest on some count – so much is at stake.
On Tuesday, though, it was not the reported 3 per cent growth rate for 2022
