Thousands of kindergartens closed across China as birth rate declines sharply

Thousands of kindergartens across China have closed as enrollment rates dropped sharply, driven by a significant decline in birth rates.

According to the Chinese Ministry of Education's annual report, the number of kindergartens in China decreased by 14,808 in 2023, bringing the total to 274,400. This marks the second consecutive year of decline, underscoring China's falling birth rates.

Kindergarten enrollment also fell for the third year in a row, dropping by 11.55 percent, or 5.35 million children, to a total of 40.9 million, the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported on Sunday, citing the ministry's report.

Primary schools have experienced a similar trend, with numbers dropping by 5,645 to 143,500—a 3.8 percent decline in 2023. These decreases reflect broader demographic shifts in China, where declining birth rates and a shrinking population could pose risks to future economic growth.

China's population decreased for the second consecutive year in 2023, falling by over two million to 1.4 billion. The country recorded just nine million births, its lowest number since record-keeping began in 1949. India recently overtook China as the world’s most populous country.

China now faces a dual crisis: not only are birth and fertility rates declining, but the elderly population is also rising rapidly. By the end of 2023, nearly 300 million people were aged 60 and above, a number projected to surpass 400 million by 2035 and reach 500 million by 2050, according to the state-run Xinhua News Agency.

A growing number of kindergartens have been repurposed as care centers for senior citizens. The surge in the elderly population, largely influenced by the now-defunct one-child policy, has led to increased reliance on social security, adding pressure to government finances amid a slowing economy.

Officials attribute China’s demographic crisis to the decades-old one-child policy, which ended in 2016. In 2021, the government revised the policy again, allowing up to three children per family to address couples' reluctance to have more children due to high costs.

In response to rising pension and elderly care expenses, China raised the retirement age last month, increasing it from 60 to 63 for men and from 55 to 58 for female office workers.

According to Health Commission data from 2021, over 30 percent of families with infants and toddlers need childcare services, but only 5.5 percent have access to nurseries or pre-kindergartens.

In the face of a shrinking and aging population, China is aiming to simplify marriage procedures while making divorce more challenging.