双语新闻：2023年中国人口再次下降
China announced recently that the country's mainland population fell by 2 million people in 2023.
中国最近宣布，2023年中国大陆人口将减少200万。
This drop is the second yearly decrease in population, adding to concerns about the country's future economic growth.
这是人口连续第二年下降，增加了人们对该国未来经济增长的担忧。
The National Bureau of Statistics said the total number of people in China dropped by 2.08 million, or 0.15 percent, to 1.409 billion in 2023. China does a full population count, or census, every 10 years.
国家统计局表示，到2023年，中国总人口减少208万，至14.09亿，降幅为0.15%。中国每10年进行一次人口普查。
Increased deaths and decreased fertility
死亡率上升，生育率下降
The number of deaths rose by 690,000 to 11.1 million, more than twice the increase recorded in 2022. Population experts said the aging of the population and COVID-19 outbreaks account for most of the rise.
死亡人数增加69万人，达到1110万人，是2022年的两倍多。人口专家表示，人口老龄化和新冠疫情是这一增长的主要原因。
But the data also suggested important information about the number of births, which fell by 540,000, or 5.6 percent. The drop was smaller than the decreases of the past three years.
但这些数据也提供了有关出生人数的重要信息，出生人数减少了54万人，即5.6%。这一降幅小于过去三年的降幅。
Still, the decreasing birth rate suggests that the fertility rate is a long-term economic and societal problem for China.
尽管如此，不断下降的出生率表明，生育率对中国来说是一个长期的经济和社会问题。
The lower fertility rate, together with people living longer because of better health care, means China is slowly growing older.
较低的生育率，加上人们因更好的医疗保健而寿命更长，意味着中国正在缓慢老龄化。
Demographer Zuo Xuejin, formerly of the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, estimated that the proportion of the population that is 65 or older could double to more than 30 percent by 2050.
前上海社会科学院人口统计学家左学金估计，到2050年，65岁及以上的人口比例可能会翻一番，达到30%以上。
These population changes could slow economic growth over time.
随着时间的推移，这些人口变化可能会减缓经济增长。
Other countries in the region also face long-term population problems. Japan's birth rate was 6.3 per 1,000 people in 2022, while South Korea's rate was 4.9.
该地区的其他国家也面临长期的人口问题。2022年，日本的出生率为千分之6.3，而韩国为千分之4.9。
"As we have observed again and again from other low fertility countries, fertility decline is often very difficult to reverse," University of Michigan demographer Zhou Yun said.
密歇根大学人口统计学家周云说:“正如我们从其他低生育率国家一次又一次观察到的那样，生育率的下降往往很难逆转。”
中国最近宣布，2023年中国大陆人口将减少200万。
This drop is the second yearly decrease in population, adding to concerns about the country's future economic growth.
这是人口连续第二年下降，增加了人们对该国未来经济增长的担忧。
The National Bureau of Statistics said the total number of people in China dropped by 2.08 million, or 0.15 percent, to 1.409 billion in 2023. China does a full population count, or census, every 10 years.
国家统计局表示，到2023年，中国总人口减少208万，至14.09亿，降幅为0.15%。中国每10年进行一次人口普查。
Increased deaths and decreased fertility
死亡率上升，生育率下降
The number of deaths rose by 690,000 to 11.1 million, more than twice the increase recorded in 2022. Population experts said the aging of the population and COVID-19 outbreaks account for most of the rise.
死亡人数增加69万人，达到1110万人，是2022年的两倍多。人口专家表示，人口老龄化和新冠疫情是这一增长的主要原因。
But the data also suggested important information about the number of births, which fell by 540,000, or 5.6 percent. The drop was smaller than the decreases of the past three years.
但这些数据也提供了有关出生人数的重要信息，出生人数减少了54万人，即5.6%。这一降幅小于过去三年的降幅。
Still, the decreasing birth rate suggests that the fertility rate is a long-term economic and societal problem for China.
尽管如此，不断下降的出生率表明，生育率对中国来说是一个长期的经济和社会问题。
The lower fertility rate, together with people living longer because of better health care, means China is slowly growing older.
较低的生育率，加上人们因更好的医疗保健而寿命更长，意味着中国正在缓慢老龄化。
Demographer Zuo Xuejin, formerly of the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, estimated that the proportion of the population that is 65 or older could double to more than 30 percent by 2050.
前上海社会科学院人口统计学家左学金估计，到2050年，65岁及以上的人口比例可能会翻一番，达到30%以上。
These population changes could slow economic growth over time.
随着时间的推移，这些人口变化可能会减缓经济增长。
Other countries in the region also face long-term population problems. Japan's birth rate was 6.3 per 1,000 people in 2022, while South Korea's rate was 4.9.
该地区的其他国家也面临长期的人口问题。2022年，日本的出生率为千分之6.3，而韩国为千分之4.9。
"As we have observed again and again from other low fertility countries, fertility decline is often very difficult to reverse," University of Michigan demographer Zhou Yun said.
密歇根大学人口统计学家周云说:“正如我们从其他低生育率国家一次又一次观察到的那样，生育率的下降往往很难逆转。”
