Recently, most provinces have released their latest population data. In 2023, Guangdong ranked first in population with an increase of 1.03 million births, far surpassing other provinces.
By the end of 2023, Guangdong's permanent population exceeded 127 million, up by 490,000 from the previous year, marking its 18th consecutive year as China's most populous province.
In 2023, Guangdong retained its title as the province with the highest number of births and population, which also represents its popularity.
Strong appeal for living and working
Statistics reveal that Guangdong had 1.03 million births in 2023 with a birth rate of 8.12‰ and 680,000 deaths with a mortality rate of 5.36‰. The natural population growth was 350,000, with a growth rate of 2.75‰. Guangdong has been the only province in China to surpass one million births annually for four consecutive years and has led in national birth rates for six years.
This also indicates that out of the 490,000 increase in Guangdong's permanent population in 2023, 350,000 came from natural growth and 140,000 mainly from migration.
In 2022, the pandemic caused a temporary reverse migration back to hometowns from Guangdong, but a year later, the province's population growth returned to positive growth. Guangdong's appeal, cohesiveness, and attractiveness continue to draw domestic residents from other regions, ensuring ongoing "population dividends" and "talent dividends."
Willingness and ability to have children
In 2023, at least one in every ten newborns in China was born in Guangdong.
According to the National Bureau of Statistics of China, there were 9.02 million births nationwide in 2023, with Guangdong accounting for 1.03 million, making it the only province to exceed one million births.
Why are Guangdong residents so enthusiastic about having children?
Specifically, certain areas within the province maintain positive cultural attitudes towards family and intergenerational continuity, such as Shantou in eastern Guangdong and Zhanjiang in its west, sustaining high birth rates.
Beyond traditional ideas, the continuous influx of residents from other regions and a relatively young demographic structure support the birth rates in cities like Guangzhou, Dongguan, and others in the Pearl River Delta.
In 2023, cities such as Guangzhou, Dongguan, Shenzhen, Foshan, Zhongshan, Huizhou, and Jiangmen in the Pearl River Delta all reported higher permanent populations than registered populations. An increasing number of residents from other regions have settled in the Delta to work and start a family, thus contributing to the increase in the birth rate.
At present, Guangdong has implemented several measures. These include creating over 330,000 new public kindergarten enrollment slots and increasing housing provident fund loan limits for families with multiple children, so as to further address challenges in raising children and promote high-quality development of the population.
Source: Yangcheng Evening News
