China's birth rate fell last year to its lowest level on record, official data showed on Monday.

A total of 7.92 million births were recorded in 2025, officials said, a rate of 5.63 births per thousand people.

It marked the lowest birth rate since records by the National Bureau of Statistics began in 1949.

Total population fell for the fourth straight year last year. It stood at 1.404 billion, 3 million less than the previous year.

The birth rate in the world's second most populous nation has declined consistently over the last decade despite the end of the one-child policy.

The previous low was in 2023 when the country recorded 9.02 million births, a rate of 6.39 per 1,000 people. In 2024, there was a slight uptick when 6.77 births were recorded per thousand.

Meanwhile, marriage registrations saw a rebound in the first three quarters of 2025.

According to data by the Ministry of Civil Affairs, 5.15 million couples tied the knot from January to September, an 8.5 percent rise from the same period in 2024.

Shanghai and Shenzhen recorded surges of nearly 40 percent and 30 percent respectively, both reaching their highest levels in five years.

Experts attributed the rise not only to cultural factors, but more importantly to a series of policy adjustments. These include the nationwide relaxation of marriage registration requirements, as well as long-term incentives such as extended parental leave, childcare subsidies and free preschool education. (Agencies)