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China's birth number in 2024 increased by 520,000 compared to the previous year, according to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), Azernews reports, citing Global Times.

In 2024, the number of births was 9.54 million representing a birth rate of 6.77 per thousand, while deaths totaled 10.93 million with a mortality rate of 7.76 per thousand, resulting in a negative natural population growth rate of 0.99 per thousand.

However, in comparison, there were 9.02 million births in 2023, with a birth rate of 6.39 per thousand. The data indicates an increase of 520,000 births in 2024 compared to 2023.

The rise in births last year can be attributed to factors such as an increase in marriages and supportive policies, Yuan Xin, a professor at the Institute of Population and Development, School of Economics, Nankai University, told the Global Times on Friday, citing official data.

In 2023, the number of first-time marriages in China reached 11.939 million, an increase of 1.4222 million compared to 2022, reflecting a 13.52 percent year-on-year increase and the first rise in first-time marriages since 2014, a previous data released by the NBS suggested.

Additionally, 2023 was the Year of the Dragon, a culturally significant zodiac sign in Chinese tradition, often associated with increased birth rates, Yuan said.

Significant changes have been made in recent years, including the revision of the law on population and family planning in 2021, which legalized the three-child policy. At the third plenum in 2024, further efforts were proposed to improve the population development support and service system, and enhance fertility support policies and incentives

Progress has been made in implementing supportive policies, with policy effects gradually becoming evident, Yuan said, referring to another reason for the increase in births.

Also at Friday's press conference, the NBS official said that the national population was 1,408.28 million by the end of 2024, representing a decrease of 1.39 million compared to the end of 2023, according to data released by the NBS on Friday. The national population includes the population of 31 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities and servicemen, but excludes residents of Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, and foreign nationals living in these areas, according to the NBS.

In terms of age structure, the population aged 16 to 59 was 857.98 million, making up 60.9 percent of the total population; the population aged 60 and over was 310.31 million, representing 22 percent of the total, per the NBS.