population

China Approves First Retirement Age Hike Since 1950s

Timely reports on issues and events from across China. Drawing on a vast range of sources, these succinct articles provide insights into the significance of each issue in a wider context.

NEWS

The gradual increase, starting in 2025, aims to address China’s shrinking workforce and the economic strain of an aging population.

Ni Dandan

Some Chinese Regions Report Slight Bump in Birth Rate

The small rebound in births in the first half of 2024 is being driven by a mix of factors, but probably won’t last long, experts say.

He Qitong

Off the Books: Inside the Struggle to Save China’s Preschools

Articles that cut to the core of contemporary China. In-depth, informed, and carefully crafted, every piece is carried by the voices of the story’s participants.

FEATURES

Facing low admissions, fierce competition from public schools, and financial pressures, China’s private kindergartens are upping marketing efforts and offering nursery classes. To boost enrollments, teachers are also increasingly taking on roles as sales reps.

Ye Zhanhang

Work in Progress: The Changing Face of China’s Migrant Workforce

Translations, cross-publications, and collaborative projects from Sixth Tone’s external partners. 

SIXTH TONE ×

A new monitoring report on the scale, flow, and distribution of this vital workforce offers insight into the desires and demands of different generations.

The Paper

Old Age, New Stage: On China’s TikTok, the Elderly Find a Second Act

As China grapples with a rapidly aging population, hundreds of new short video accounts have emerged detailing life in care homes. Many look to reshape perceptions and the stigma around elder care.

Ding Rui

Bachelor Boom: What’s Keeping Rural Chinese Men Single?

Despite government efforts, rural single men are still grappling with a persistent gender imbalance, expensive marriage customs, and rapid urbanization, complicating their search for a spouse.

Uptick in Marriages After Years of Decline Sparks Hope in China

While nationwide data is yet to be released, Shanghai and multiple cities in Jiangsu, Hunan, Shanxi, and Anhui provinces have reported increased marriage rates in 2023.

Beijing’s Elderly Residents Increase as Reforms in the Works

Municipal officials have rolled out several initiatives to attract top talent as high costs of living push people to relocate to neighboring cities.

More Chinese Fathers Helping, Yet ‘Widowed Parenting’ Persists

Highlighting that mothers and grandparents are still responsible for childcare across China, a new study underscores the need for policy reforms, including more leave for parents.

China’s Rural Children Close Height, Weight Gap, but Obesity Looms

A new study published in Lancet analyzes height and weight markers, offering a window into China’s health challenges and shifting socioeconomic dynamics.

Zhu Junxi

Gain and Pain: The Problem of China’s Expanding Waistline

Almost half of the country’s population is now overweight or obese, according to a comprehensive study that factors in gender, geography, and GDP.

China Raises Tax Breaks to Ease Burden on Young Families

The new policies will double tax deductions for families with children under three and provide increased deductions for elderly care.

Plea for Marriage Rules Reform Sparks Debate on Parental Consent

Amid a declining marriage rate, netizens argue that China’s regulations infringe upon individuals’ freedom to choose their partners.

Chinese University Streamlines Student Marriages, Sparks Debate

The university offered students priority access for marriage registrations on May 20, a date known for its phonetic resemblance to “I love you” in Chinese.

A Tale of Two Giants: How India’s and China’s Demographics Differ

Visual stories that get up close and personal with contemporary China. A mix of short videos, documentaries, photography, and data visualization.

MULTIMEDIA

As India’s population inches past China, we take a closer look at the two countries’ key demographic differences and trends in population distribution and urbanization.

Luo Yahan

A Chinese City Offers Free High School Tuition for Third Child

Weifang hopes the policy will encourage couples to have more children, while critics say it risks creating inequality.

Li Xin

More Women Want Career Over Marriage, Having Kids: New Survey

Zhilian Zhaopin survey also finds that the pay gap between men and women has shrunk by half over the last four years.

Growth in China’s Labor Force Slowed Since 2018, Says New Survey

The worrying trend comes amid reports that nearly 20 million workers will retire annually over the next 10 years.

Kinder Gone: As Enrolments Dip, Preschools Fight to Stay Afloat

Struggling to woo applicants that are fewer in number, kindergartens once difficult to get into have now lowered their entrance thresholds, and some are close to shutting down.

Taking it Slow: China’s Gen Z in No Hurry to Walk Down the Aisle

New data shows the average age for marriage in 2022 in several provinces was nearly 30. In 2010, it was 24.