Macau recorded a new historic low fertility rate in 2025, continuing a downward trend that has lasted for over a decade.
According to data from the Statistics and Census Service, the fertility rate dropped to 0.47 births per woman aged 15 to 49, down by 0.11 compared to 2024. This is the lowest level since records began in 2001 and far below the 2.1 replacement rate needed to sustain population levels.
The territory also registered just 2,871 births in 2025, the lowest number in nearly 50 years.
Estimates from the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs indicate that Macau already had the lowest fertility rate in the world in 2024, followed by Singapore with 0.95 births per woman.
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In response, authorities have introduced measures to boost birth rates, including a child subsidy worth 54,000 patacas (€5,830) for children up to three years old. Chief Executive Sam Hou Fai also increased the birth allowance and marriage subsidy, while promising expanded access to free childcare services and proposing longer maternity leave in the private sector (from 70 to 90 days).
With fewer births, Macau’s population is aging rapidly. Residents aged 65 and over reached about 105,200 in 2025, representing 15.3% of the population, while children aged 14 or under accounted for just 11.7%.
Macau’s total population stood at 688,900 in 2025, a slight increase of 0.1% year-on-year. However, the number of elderly residents has exceeded that of young people since 2023, and authorities warn of a “ultra-low fertility rate” persisting through the decade, with seniors expected to make up nearly a quarter of the population by 2041.
