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The list of suggested materials mentions that Macau recorded a new historical low in the number of births. According to the data, the number of newborns in Macau decreased by 4.4% in the first nine months of the current year, reaching the lowest figure in almost half a century.
The Palestinian news agency Wafa reported that the number of cases of congenital defects among newborns in Gaza during the first nine months of 2026 exceeded the total number registered throughout 2022, which preceded the start of the Israeli war in the territory.
A medical source in Gaza told Wafa that 260 cases were recorded from January to September, compared to 184 cases registered for the entire year of 2022.
Furthermore, the source noted that 322 cases were recorded in 2025, representing a 75 percent increase compared to the 2022 figures.
Possible causes for this phenomenon include maternal malnutrition, exposure to environmental pollutants, and disruptions in prenatal care during military operations. The source called for an independent international scientific investigation.
However, the source warned that these figures alone do not allow for determining the level of congenital anomalies among newborns or identifying their root causes.
Previously, in January 2025, a report by Human Rights Watch indicated that pregnant women in Gaza faced serious health threats due to the war, blockade, damage to medical facilities, as well as shortages of food, water, and medicine.
According to data from the China Statistical Yearbook 2026, the proportion of individuals aged 65 or older compared to the Chinese working-age population surpassed, for the first time in 2025, the proportion of children under 15 years old.
By the end of 2025, China counted 223.65 million people aged 65 or older, which corresponds to 15.9% of the total population. In contrast, there were 212.76 million under 15 years old, representing 15.1%, as detailed in the recently published yearbook.
The elderly dependency ratio, which assesses the proportion of people aged 65 or older relative to the population between 15 and 64 years old, reached 23.1%. This figure is above the 22% recorded for the younger group.
Considering both groups, the overall demographic dependency ratio stood at 45.1%, resulting from the sum of these two categories relative to the workforce.
This change is part of a process of accelerated aging in the country. In 2016, the elderly dependency ratio was 15%; it exceeded 20% for the first time in 2021, reaching 20.8%, and reached 22.8% in 2024, just two tenths below the corresponding rate for young people.
The observed reversal is linked to a persistent decline in birth rates. In 2025, China recorded 7.92 million births, marking a new historical low, after recovering to 9.54 million in 2024, consolidating the fourth consecutive year of population decline.
At the close of 2025, the country had 323.38 million inhabitants aged 60 or older, equivalent to 23% of the total population, an increase from the 22% recorded the previous year.
Authorities have implemented various measures to deal with this demographic transformation, aiming to stimulate births and reduce the costs associated with raising children, including granting a national subsidy for children under three years old.
In parallel, support services for the elderly are being expanded, and a progressive increase in the retirement age was implemented starting in 2025.
However, the measures taken so far have not been sufficient to reverse the main trends: births remain at historically low levels. Authorities project that around 2035, more than 400 million people will be 60 years or older, which is expected to intensify pressure on the pension system, the labor market, and geriatric care services.
