The Mortality Rate in China is Rising

an aging problem

In 2023, China’s mortality rate quietly settled at about 7.87 deaths per 1,000 people, a figure that reflects both the intricacies of its demographic evolution and the challenges the country now faces. Over the last two decades, China’s mortality rate has wavered, rising and falling in response to a web of factors: the country’s uneven age distributions, strides in healthcare, and the disruptions of epidemics. Yet, one trend has become unmistakably clear—China’s population is aging. As the proportion of citizens aged 60 and above continues its steady climb, experts anticipate that the mortality rate will only increase in the years ahead.