The Changing Death Rate in China from 1990 to 2022

China’s death rate has remained relatively stable over the past few decades, fluctuating between 6.4 and 7.4 deaths per 1,000 people. From 1990 to the mid-2000s, the rate hovered around 6.5, reflecting the country’s ongoing economic growth and improvements in healthcare and living standards. However, since 2010, the rate has seen a gradual increase, reaching 7.4 by 2022. This uptick is partly attributed to China’s aging population, as the country faces demographic challenges due to decades of the one-child policy. Additionally, the COVID-19 pandemic also contributed to a higher death rate in 2020 and 2021. While economic development has reduced death rates in younger populations, the elderly population’s growth has begun to exert upward pressure on the overall mortality rate.