Bi-Weekly Geopolitical Report – China’s Collapsing Population (July 24, 2023)
Patrick Fearon-Hernandez, CFA | PDF
In early 2020, we published a detailed, multi-part analysis of global demographic trends (see our Weekly Geopolitical Report from February 10, 2020). That report showed how falling birth rates and rising life expectancies have led to slower population growth, population aging, and weaker economic activity in countries ranging from China and India to the United States and Japan. These demographic trends will have big implications for economic growth, price inflation, interest rates, and relative military power in future years.
In this report, we take a deep dive into China’s worsening demographics, based on the UN Population Division’s updated projections from late last year and other recent revelations. As we show, China is now facing what could be considered an outright demographic collapse. We also discuss the many negative implications of this demographic collapse for the Chinese people and for global investors.