摘要:The decline in China’s population has come earlier than expected.It not only brings a cognitive impact,but more importantly,it may lead to delays in adjusting economic and social policies.According ro data released by the National Bureau of Statistics(NBS)in January,China’s total population at the end of 2022 was 1.41175 billion,a drop of 850,000 on 2021,with a natural growth rate of minus 0.60 per thousand.This shows that China’s population entered negative growth in 2022 after peaking in 2021.The declining fertility rate and the increasing aging rate,along with the population growth rate changing from positive to negative,are natural processes of economic and social development,which are within expectations and a natural result.However,the timing is unexpected.More attention should be devoted to better understanding how to make timely policy adjustments.