China’s population in 2025 decreased by 3.39 million people to 1 billion 404.89 million, according to a report by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). The population has declined for the fourth consecutive year.
This included 716.85 million men and 688.04 million women. These figures do not include the populations of Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan, as well as foreigners living in China.
Last year, 7.92 million children were born in the country, compared to 9.54 million a year earlier. This is the lowest level in the history of calculations (since 1949). The birth rate was 5.63 per 1,000 people, compared to 6.77 in 2024.
The sharp decline may be partly due to the increase in 2024, most of which occurred during the Year of the Dragon, which is considered auspicious for marriage and childbirth in Chinese culture, experts note.
The number of deaths in China in 2025 increased to 11.31 million from 10.93 million a year earlier, according to the NBS. The mortality rate rose to 8.04 per 1,000 people from 7.76.
People aged 16 to 59 accounted for 60.6% of the total population, while those aged 60 and older accounted for 23%.
Cities were home to 953.8 million people, which is 10.3 million more than at the end of 2024. The number of permanent residents in rural areas decreased by 13.69 million to 451.09 million people. As a result, the share of the urban population increased by 89 basis points to 67.89%.
The average number of years of schooling among the population aged 16 to 59 reached 11.3 years, which is 0.1 years more than in 2024.
At the end of 2025, China’s GDP increased by 5% to 140.2 trillion yuan. The growth rate coincided with the government’s target and the pace of economic growth in 2024.
The dispute over Greenland has overshadowed plans to use the Davos week to reach agreements between the US, Ukraine, and European countries on security guarantees and reconstruction of Ukraine, Axios reports.
“A Ukrainian official said that the plan for leaders to sign the ‘prosperity plan’ had been canceled. An American official denied that any date had been set and said that the plan still needed to be finalized,” the report said.
It is noted that Trump still plans to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and several European leaders, but the US official said that no breakthroughs should be expected.
Imports of lead and lead products to Ukraine in 2025 increased 3.3 times to $7.801 million.
In contrast, lead exports decreased by 17.8% to $9.377 million.
In December, imports amounted to $478,000, while exports amounted to $466,000.
Imports have been growing for the second year in a row: in 2024, they increased 2.4 times.
Lead is currently mainly used in the production of lead-acid batteries for the automotive industry.
In addition, lead is used in the manufacture of bullets and certain alloys.
Imports of trucks to Ukraine in 2025 grew by 5.5% in monetary terms compared to 2024, reaching $999.5 million, according to statistics from the State Customs Service.
According to the published data, the growth rate of imports of this type of vehicle slowed down somewhat at the end of the year, reaching 7.5% over the 11 months compared to the same period in 2024.
At the same time, in December, truck imports decreased by 9% compared to December 2024, to $102.3 million.
Most trucks in 2025 were imported from France – $169.2 million (42.8% more than last year), Poland – $162.7 million (14.7% less), and the United States – $109 million (2% more). Last year, Poland led this trio.
Imports of trucks from all other countries increased by 4.6% over the year, amounting to $558.5 million.
At the same time, according to statistics, Ukraine exported only $6.6 million worth of trucks last year, mainly to Turkey (66.2% of exports), Romania, and Moldova, and a year earlier, exports were even more insignificant ($4.1 million), mainly to Moldova, Turkey, and Poland.
As reported, in 2024, imports of trucks to Ukraine in monetary terms increased by 30% compared to 2023, to $947.84 million, with most of them imported from Poland (almost 20%).
The elevators of the Zakhidny Bug group of companies received over 320,000 tons of grain in 2025, according to a Facebook post by the agricultural holding’s press service.
According to the report, the Zakhidny Bug seed plant produced over 13,000 tons of seeds in 2025.
In total, the group’s fields harvested 82,700 tons of winter wheat, 77,500 tons of corn, 26,700 tons of barley, 70,000 tons of soybeans, and 22,300 tons of rapeseed in 2025. The company also harvested hard wheat varieties: 18,200 tons of winter wheat and 3,450 tons of spring wheat.
PP “Zakhidny Bug” was founded in 2003 and specializes in growing grain and industrial crops. It owns a land bank of 65,000 hectares in the Lviv, Chernivtsi, Ternopil, and Volyn regions.
The company is building Ukraine’s first mill to process durum wheat, as well as a pasta factory. The projected capacity of the first stage of the mill is 80 tons per day for durum wheat and 150 tons per day for soft wheat varieties. The second stage will increase the capacity by another 200 tons for durum wheat and 300 tons for soft varieties. The total investment in the project is UAH 1 billion.
The beneficiaries of the enterprise are Oksana Drul (30%), Valery Ovcharuk (30%), and Yuriy Gladun (30%).
Imports of zinc and zinc products to Ukraine in 2025 decreased by 9.6% to $52.982 million.
Zinc exports, despite their small volumes, showed a sharp jump to $1.234 million (in 2024, they amounted to $563,000).
In December, imports amounted to $4.392 million, while exports amounted to $68 thousand. The trend has changed: in 2024, the country increased zinc imports by 27.5%.
Pure metallic zinc is used to recover precious metals, protect steel from corrosion, and for other purposes.
