James Kynge

Because I think that dubious distinction goes to either Macau or South Korea.

But it is very close to the lowest birth rate in the world.

What are you hearing, Alice?

I mean, you must have heard several stories from your friends in China about why people are not having babies and the government efforts to get them to have babies.

Yeah, I'm with you, Alice.

I don't think this tax change is going to work either.

My friends in China also are saying, you know, high costs of housing, education, childcare, intense pressures of the workplace, very long working hours, all of that kind of thing.

By 2040,

China will have a huge elderly population of over 400 million people.

That means that from now until then, the number of elderly people, that's people above 60 years old, will rise by about 150 million.

So that is the population of Russia.

between now and 2040.

And simultaneously, the number of Chinese people overall will be falling.

And by 2050, that will also have declined by 150 million.

So again, a population the size of Russia.

So, you know, as you mentioned, we're dealing with really, really big pressures here.

This is big stuff.

Oh, hugely.

I mean, I had female colleagues who were late 20s, 30s, just having kids or just getting married.

And the sense of foreboding was really quite palpable.