Kindergartens Shut Down Across China as Birth Rate Falls

China’s birth rate is plunging as young adults cite financial strain, career pressure, and the high cost of childrearing.

A woman holds a baby at a park in Beijing, China, on May 12, 2021. Kevin Frayer/Getty Images

China is facing a deepening demographic crisis, with birth rates in several populous provinces plunging over 50 percent in 2024 from their peaks in 2016 or 2017. This sharp decline has already triggered a significant drop in preschool enrollment and the closure of tens of thousands of preschools in recent years.

A recent study by data firm MyCOS reveals that even traditionally high-fertility regions have been hit hard: Shandong Province, once China’s most fertile, saw a 63 percent decline in births, while Hunan reported a 60 percent drop. Similar trends have been observed in Hubei, Anhui, and Jiangxi—all among China’s 15 most populous provinces.