SHANGHAI, China, 9 July 2025 – In celebration of the 35th anniversary of World Population Day, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the China Population and Development Research Center (CPDRC), and the China Population Association (CPA) jointly hosted a high-level dialogue in Shanghai.

With the theme of “empowering young people in a world of declining fertility,” the dialogue highlighted that as fertility rates drop to record lows in China and around the world, what young people need the most is an equitable, sustainable and peaceful world to create the families they want and build the futures they desire.

The commemoration, which was held ahead of the observation of World Population Day on 11 July, attracted about 100 participants from the government, civil society, academia, the private sector, and women’s and youth groups. It was also supported by the China Family Planning Association, the China Population Welfare Foundation, and the Institute of Population Studies at the School of Social Development and Public Policy of Fudan University.

Speaking at the event, Ms. Nadia Rasheed, Representative of UNFPA in China, highlighted that “Most people around the world want to have two or more children, even in the countries with the lowest fertility — but economic and social constraints limit their ability to have the number of children they want.” Echoing UNFPA’s State of the World Population report, released in June 2025, she emphasized the need to remove barriers and expand choices to help people realize their fertility aspirations, and decide freely on the number, spacing and timing of their children.

According to the UNFPA report, nearly 20 per cent of reproductive-age adults believe they will not be able to have the number of children they desire. Key constraints include the prohibitive cost of parenthood, job insecurity, inadequate housing, concerns over the state of the world, and lack of a suitable partner.

Ms. He Dan, Director-General of the China Population and Development Research Center, highlighted that the aim of the commemoration was to share international experiences, listen to young people’s voices and respond to their concerns, ultimately contributing to the building of an equal, inclusive and supportive social environment for families to thrive.

Mr. Liu Qinghai, Deputy Director-General of the Department of Population Surveillance and Family Development of the National Health Commission, noted in his speech that the fertility decisions of young people should never be simply equated to a question of whether “to reproduce or not”, stating “We attach great importance to young people’s marriage and fertility choices, and are committed to create a family supportive system to expand choices for young people.”

Mr. Yang Wenzhuang, President of the China Population Association, highlighted that the Association is committed to working with everyone to establish an open platform for young people to exchange their ideas on fertility. He emphasized the importance of making full use of the power of youth scholars, to address the challenges young people face in finding a partner, getting married, establishing a family, having children and raising children.

The event also included interactive sessions on global and national fertility trends, country experiences in responding to low fertility in East Asia, and a roundtable on family friendly practices for young people. 

The dialogue concluded by emphasizing that the real solution to demographic change is reproductive agency. Young people need to be empowered as they become adults to choose the families they want, including by benefitting from comprehensive sexuality education, becoming economically independent, building trust among generations, and living free from violence and discrimination.

• Media contact:

Shujun Liu, Communications Analyst, UNFPA China, sliu@unfpa.org.

• About World Population Day:

World Population Day, which seeks to focus attention on the urgency and importance of population issues, was first marked on 11 July 1990 in more than 90 countries. Since then, UNFPA and other organizations and institutions commemorate World Population Day, in partnership with governments and civil society.

• About UNFPA and the State of World Population Report:

As the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency, UNFPA helps people obtain contraception and life-saving reproductive health services and information and empowers women and girls to make informed decisions about their bodies and lives. It also helps countries use population data to better understand and harness the opportunities that can come with demographic change.

The State of World Population report is UNFPA’s annual flagship publication. Published yearly since 1978, it shines a light on emerging issues in the field of sexual and reproductive health and rights, bringing them into the mainstream and exploring the challenges and opportunities they present for international development.

• To access the full report of the 2025 State of World Population: https://www.unfpa.org/swp2025.
• To access highlights of the 2025 State of World Population: https://china.unfpa.org/en/publications/state-world-population-2025-hig….