China's population decreased in 2022, with the natural population growth rate dropping 0.60‰, data released by the National Bureau of Statistics showed on Tuesday.

The number of newborns in 2022 stood at 9.56 million, according to the NBS data, with the birth rate at 6.77‰. The number of deaths in 2022 was 10.41 million, with the death rate at 7.37‰.

At the end of the year, China's population on the mainland was 1,411.75 million, a decrease of 850,000 from the end of the last year.

The figure does not include Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan residents and foreigners who live in the mainland's 31 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities, according to the NBS.

The sex ratio of the total population was 104.69 males per 100 females, with 722.06 million males and 689.69 million females.

China's population in urban areas on the mainland increased by 6.46 million from the end of 2021 to 920.71 million by the end of 2022, representing 65.22 percent of the total, the data showed.

The rural population stood at 491.04 million, down by 7.31 million from the end of 2021.