The Graphic Truth: US and China not making enough babies

January 30, 2022

and

US and China not making enough babies: Population growth in the US and China 1961-2020 (% of population)

For decades, the Chinese Communist Party was worried about overpopulation. In 1978 it told Chinese families they could only have one kid to contain the ballooning population size. But after years of restricting the number of births, China's population is now shrinking — fast. This demographic trend is a massive problem for China, currently vying to overtake the US as the world's largest economy. Meanwhile, the US population has also started to decline over the past decade. We compare their population growth rates from 1961-2020.

From Your Site Articles

The global population is aging. Is the world prepared? - GZERO Media ›

Hard Numbers: Tesla approves $1 trillion Musk package, Kazakhstan wants to join Abraham Accords, Typhoon rips through Vietnam, & More

Elon Musk attends the opening ceremony of the new Tesla Gigafactory for electric cars in Gruenheide, Germany, March 22, 2022.

Patrick Pleul/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo

$1 trillion: Tesla shareholders approved a $1-trillion pay package for owner Elon Musk, a move that is set to make him the world’s first trillionaire – if the company meets certain targets. The pay will come in the form of stocks.

Q+A: Climate tries for a comeback at COP30

Brazil's President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Germany's Chancellor Friedrich Merz walk after a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the UN Climate Change Conference (COP30), in Belem, Brazil, on November 7, 2025.

REUTERS/Adriano Machado

When it comes to global warming, the hottest ticket in the world right now is for the COP30 conference, which runs for the next week in Brazil. But with world leaders putting climate lower on the agenda, what can the conference achieve?

What We’re Watching: Orbán seeks Russian oil carveout from Trump, Nigerien uranium to pass through risky area, Israel hits southern Lebanon

US President Donald Trump and Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orbán shake hands as they pose for a photo, at a world leaders' summit on ending the Gaza war, amid a US-brokered prisoner-hostage swap and ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas, in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, on October 13, 2025.

Yoan Valat/Pool via REUTERS

The Graphic Truth: US and China not making enough babies

GZEROMEDIA

More from GZERO Media

Are we entering a new era of nuclear weapons testing?

Former Swedish Prime Minister Carl Bildt asks whether the world is sliding back into the dangerous era of open nuclear weapons testing, and it all started with a misunderstanding by US President Donald Trump.

In Hungary, Orbán's grip on power is slipping

Don't let a chummy White House visit fool you. He's on the ropes.

Government shutdown grounds flights

Hard Numbers: Tesla approves $1 trillion Musk package, Kazakhstan wants to join Abraham Accords, Typhoon rips through Vietnam, & More

$1 trillion: Tesla shareholders approved a $1-trillion pay package for owner Elon Musk, a move that is set to make him the world’s first trillionaire – if the company meets certain targets. The pay will come in the form of stocks.

Q+A: Climate tries for a comeback at COP30

When it comes to global warming, the hottest ticket in the world right now is for the COP30 conference, which runs for the next week in Brazil. But with world leaders putting climate lower on the agenda, what can the conference achieve?

GZEROMEDIA

What We’re Watching: Orbán seeks Russian oil carveout from Trump, Nigerien uranium to pass through risky area, Israel hits southern Lebanon

Rebeca Grynspan on reforming the UN for a new era

As the United Nations marks its 80th anniversary, UNCTAD Secretary-General Rebeca Grynspan argues that reform must begin with recognizing how much the world has changed since 1945.

You vs. the News: A Weekly News Quiz - November 7, 2025

Think you know what's going on around the world? Here's your chance to prove it.

Responsible AI for a digital world

How do we ensure AI is trustworthy in an era of rapid technological change? Baroness Joanna Shields, Executive Chair of the Responsible AI Future Foundation, says it starts with principles of responsible AI and a commitment to ethical development.

What We’re Watching: Milei sticks to his guns, Putin gets ready to test, Central Asia comes to Washington

The Graphic Truth: US and China not making enough babies

GZEROMEDIA

Subscribe to GZERO Media's newsletter: Signal

More from GZERO Media

Former Swedish Prime Minister Carl Bildt asks whether the world is sliding back into the dangerous era of open nuclear weapons testing, and it all started with a misunderstanding by US President Donald Trump.

Don't let a chummy White House visit fool you. He's on the ropes.

$1 trillion: Tesla shareholders approved a $1-trillion pay package for owner Elon Musk, a move that is set to make him the world’s first trillionaire – if the company meets certain targets. The pay will come in the form of stocks.

When it comes to global warming, the hottest ticket in the world right now is for the COP30 conference, which runs for the next week in Brazil. But with world leaders putting climate lower on the agenda, what can the conference achieve?

GZEROMEDIA

Subscribe to GZERO Media's newsletter: Signal

As the United Nations marks its 80th anniversary, UNCTAD Secretary-General Rebeca Grynspan argues that reform must begin with recognizing how much the world has changed since 1945.

Think you know what's going on around the world? Here's your chance to prove it.

How do we ensure AI is trustworthy in an era of rapid technological change? Baroness Joanna Shields, Executive Chair of the Responsible AI Future Foundation, says it starts with principles of responsible AI and a commitment to ethical development.