Is demographic decline reversible? But the decline in the fertility rate was inevitable, like a boulder rolling down a hill. China's current policies are a scaled-down version of Japan's ineffective response to demographic decline. With China facing even deeper structural demographic constraints, it is not surprising that its fertility rate has already fallen below Japan's. Worse, the share of unmarried women aged 25-29 surged from 9% in 2000 to 33% in 2020, and to 43% in 2023.

Source: Bangkok Post January 23, 2026 23:53 UTC