ChinaCensus
Sichuan Faces Sustained Population Decline Amid Aging and Low Fertility
Sichuan Province has witnessed four straight years of natural population shrinkage, with its natural growth rate deepening from -1.89‰ in 2021 to -3.02‰ in 2024. According to data, the birth rate slid from 6.85‰ to 6.41‰ during this period, while mortality rose from 8.74‰ to 9.43‰.
According to Wang Xueyi, a demographics expert at Southwestern University of Finance and Economics, two intertwined factors drive this trend. First, persistently low fertility intentions—fueled by shifting youth attitudes toward marriage, skyrocketing childcare costs, and working women’s career concerns—have kept birth rates depressed. Second, accelerating aging has pushed deaths to 789,000 in 2024, surpassing births by 253,000.
However, the actual population decline was only 40,000, indicating significant compensatory migration. Over the past three years, Sichuan has seen an average annual net influx of 200,000 people. This shift, Wang explained, stems largely from industrial opportunities created by the Chengdu-Chongqing economic zone and relocating sectors like electronics and new-energy vehicles, which have drawn workers and graduates to cities like Chengdu and Yibin.
Meanwhile, urbanization has maintained upward momentum, hitting 60.1% in 2024—a 0.61-point annual increase. Notably, this marks a 10-point jump since 2017, when the rate first exceeded 50%. Authorities attribute the growth to policies easing rural-to-urban transitions, including relaxed residency rules and expanded public services.
More population information please check 2025 Sichuan province Population Data and Population Census data and AGE PYRAMID - ChinaCensus-ChinaCensus
reference content:2025年四川省人口常住户籍有多少和第七次人口普查数据-红黑人口库 (hongheiku.com)