Beijing losing young people, with under-30 population halved in 10 years
Data from provincial statistical yearbooks reveal a crisis in the Chinese capital that is not just demographic. While the percentage of residents aged 20 to 29 was higher than the national average in the past, it now lags behind other metropolises like Shenzhen, Shanghai, and Chengdu. Only 42 per cent of Peking University graduates remain in a city where small and medium-sized businesses are declining and housing prices are sky-high.
Beijing (AsiaNews/Agencies) – Beijing is facing a rapidly aging population. Over the past ten years, the number of permanent residents aged 20 to 29 was nearly halved, fuelling a heated debate over the capital's difficulties in attracting and retaining young people, the CNA news agency reported.
According to a recent study based on provincial statistical yearbooks, the number of young people living in Beijing decreased from 4.618 million to 2.489 million between 2015 and 2024, an overall drop of more than 2.1 million people. Their share of the total population fell from 21.3 per cent to 11.4 per cent. Over the same period, however, the population over 60 rose from 3.405 million to 5.14 million, up by 1.735 million.
The report notes that in the past, the percentage of young people in Beijing was far higher than the national average, while in 2024, it approached the Chinese average of 10.56 per cent, even though the capital still attracted internal migrants. As of 2024, people from other regions represented 37.5 per cent of the resident population.
Wei, 34, is one of them. Originally from Shandong, he has lived in Beijing since 2016. Speaking to CNA, he explained that because of the high cost of living, plans for marriage and children, and the possibility of obtaining Beijing residency, many young people leave the city after a few years if their income stagnates. Circumstances “don't encourage you to stay here”, he noted.
According to Wei, the economic situation has worsened since the COVID-19 pandemic; in fact, “everyone is tired and doesn't want to compete anymore.”
In an article published on the WeChat account Fuchengmen No. 6 Courtyard, scholar Wang Mingyuan argues that Beijing is also losing urban competitiveness.
The number of young people is now lower than in cities like Shenzhen, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu, and Chongqing. “If the population trend remains unchanged, Beijing will be a city without vitality by 2030,” he warns.
According to Wang, one of the main causes is the decline in professional opportunities. Despite the capital being one of China's main hubs for technological innovation, resources are concentrated in a few large private companies, while the number of small and medium-sized enterprises capable of offering growth prospects to young people is dwindling.
As evidence, the scholar cites Peking University graduates: in 2013, 72 per cent chose to stay in the capital, while in 2024, the percentage dropped to 42 per cent, with a sharp increase in those moving to Shanghai or Guangdong.
Extremely high housing prices are an obstacle. Some young people choose to live in the neighbouring province of Hebei, where housing is cheaper, but they face rigorous security checks when they enter Beijing on their daily commute.
Finally, the rigid residency registration system (hukou) continues to discourage many professionals.
Wang says that he knows families with annual incomes exceeding a million yuan who, despite years of work and paying taxes in the capital, have been unable to obtain Beijing residency, impacting their children's education and family stability.
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