- The drop was the first since the early 1960s, according to Yi Fuxian, a critic of China's one-child policy and author of the book "Big Country With an Empty Nest."The country reported 9.56 million births and 10.41 million deaths for 2022.The drop was the first since the early 1960s, according to Yi Fuxian, a critic of China's one-child policy and author of the book "Big Country With an Empty Nest.""Despite the negative impact of shrinking population size on China's long-term growth potential, we recommend companies look at the opportunities embedded in population structure," she said.About 83% of the U.S. population lived in urban areas as of 2021, according to the World Bank."