BEIJING (AP) — Xinjiang in far western China had the sharpest known decline in birthrates of any territory in recent history. That’s according to a new analysis by an Australian think tank obtained by The Associated Press ahead of publication. The report by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute showed the 48.74% decline was concentrated in areas with many Uyghurs, Kazakhs and other largely Muslim ethnic minorities. Birthrates in heavily minority counties fell 43.7% between 2017 and 2018 alone, compared to a slight increase in births in counties populated mostly by China’s Han majority. Though on paper, both Han Chinese and Uyghurs can have two children, the findings indicate that in practice, minorities are specifically targeted for birth control.
Drop in Xinjiang birthrate largest in recent history: report
