Births to decline more, affecting labor force

NBS official says proportion of people over 60 will 'pile pressure' on workers

Births in China are forecast to decrease further in the years ahead, as is the number of workers, a top official with the National Bureau of Statistics said.

The projection was made by Li Xiru, head of the population and employment statistics department of the NBS in an article published on the bureau's website on Wednesday. The estimate was published two days after official figures on last year's population showed a steep decline of 2 million births and fueled concerns about a future labor shortage and its potential negative impact on economic growth.