Births in China slide 10% to hit their lowest on record

BEIJING, Oct 12 (Reuters) – The number of births in China tumbled 10% last year to hit their lowest level on record – a drop that comes despite a slew of government efforts to support parents and amid increasing alarm that the country become demographically imbalanced. China had just 9.56 million births in 2022, according to a report published by the National Health Commission. It was the lowest figure since records began in 1949. The high costs of childcare and education, growing unemployment and job insecurity as well as gender discrimination have all helped to deter many young couples from…