The Chinese government is expected to announce the nation's first population drop in nearly 60 years, the Financial Times reported.
According to the Times, China's latest census numbers are expected to show the country's population as less than the 1.4 billion estimate used by Chinese ministries since 2018. The numbers were expected to be released earlier in April.
The drop would be the first since the population shrank by approximately 10 million in 1960 and by another estimated 3.4 million in 1961. Official figures show that it rebounded 14.4 million in 1962, however.
The Chinese government in March said that Beijing would gradually begin raising retirement age for Chinese workers. Currently, the mandatory retirement age is 50 for blue-collar women, 55 for other women, and 60 for men.