The number of children born in China in 2018 is expected to have dropped to the lowest level since 2000, signalling a “demographic crisis” that threatens already struggling economic growth prospects, mainland media and researchers said.

大陆媒体和研究人员表示，中国2018年新生婴儿的数量预计降至2000年以来最低水平，这是“人口危机”的信号，威胁到早已低迷的经济增长前景。

The final figure for China births in 2018 will drop below 15 million, or more than two million fewer than in 2017, the state-run tabloid Global Times reported.

根据官方小报《环球时报》报道，2018年中国出生人口最终数量将降至1500万以下，比2017年减少200多万。

If confirmed, it will fall far short of the family planning authority’s previous estimates of up to 20 million births.

如果得到证实，这一数字将远远低于计划生育部门此前估计的2000万。

China’s National Bureau of Statistics is expected to release nationwide birth figures for 2018 later this month, but data released by local authorities has all pointed to a considerable drop in births.

中国国家统计局预计于本月晚些时候发布2018年全国人口出生数据，但地方政府发布的数据均显示，出生率大幅下降。

Yi Fuxian, a researcher at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Su Jian, an economist at Peking University, co-authored a paper arguing that China may have started to see a long-lasting fall in its population.

威斯康星大学麦迪逊分校研究员易福贤与北京大学经济学家苏建合著了一篇论文，认为中国人口可能已经开始出现长期下降的趋势。

“The year 2018 will be remembered as a historical turning point for Chinese population,” Yi and Su wrote in a copy of the paper sent to the South China Morning Post.

“2018年将作为中国人口历史性转折点被铭记，”易和苏在发给《南华早报》的一份文件中写道。

“The Chinese population has started to fall, the ageing problems has accelerated, and economic vitality has weakened.”

“中国人口开始下降，老龄化问题加剧，经济活力减弱。”