China Saw Nearly 700,000 More Deaths In 2023 After Zero Covid Ended

Topline China’s population declined for a second consecutive year in 2023 driven by declining birth rates and a major surge in the number of deaths, highlighting the potential impact of the country’s decision to abandon its stringent zero Covid strategy at the start of the year. File Photo: China's population declined for the second consecutive year in 2023.

Key Facts According to data published by China’s National Bureau of Statistics, the country recorded 11.1 million deaths in 2023—an increase of around 690,000 compared to the previous year. China’s death rate for 2023 stood at 7.87 deaths per 1,000 people, up from 7.37 per 1,000 the previous year and the highest it has been since 1974 during Mao Zedong’s Cultural Revolution.

The sharp spike in death is likely linked to a surge in Covid 19 the country saw last year after it lifted nearly three years of harsh zero Covid measures that included extended lockdowns and mandatory testing. As the rolling back of measures triggered a major spike in cases, China stopped reporting its daily pandemic numbers According to official data shared with the World Health Organization , only 121,893 people have died from Covid 19 in China.

News Peg China witnessed almost an immediate surge in cases and hospitalizations starting in December 2022 as it reversed course from its stringent lockdown and testing measures. But questions were soon raised about the lack of data as Beijing suggested it had managed a smooth transition away from zero Covid.

In January China reported that nearly 60,000 people had died a month after lockdowns were lifted, but the number was still seen as a vast undercount. According to a New York Times estimate , the deadly wave which lasted between December 2022 and February 2023 likely claimed between a million and 1.5 million people.

Another estimate published by a group of scientists from Hong Kong and the U.S. suggested the death toll during that period could have been as high as 1.41 million. Key Background Overall China’s population fell to 1.409 billion, 2.08 million lower than the previous year and a second consecutive year of decline.

Last year, India surpassed China to become the world’s most populous nation. Aside from a spike in deaths, China’s population decline has also been fueled by record low births which dropped by 5.7% to 9.02 million in 2023. Further Reading China's population drops for 2nd year, with record low birth rate (Reuters).