(Photo from Anadolu) ISTANBUL-China, the world's most populous country, has seen negative growth in 2022, a historic drop in population in more than six decades, according to national data released on Tuesday. China's total population fell by 850,000 last year, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said in a statement. "By the end of 2022, the national population was 1,411.75 million (including the population of 31 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities and servicemen), a decrease of 0.85 million over that at the end of 2021," the NBS statement said. The data does not include residents of Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan, as well as foreigners living in the 31 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities. It stated that there were 9.56 million births, with a birth rate of 6.77 per thousand. "People don't need to worry too much, as the main issue is whether the population, the demographic structure and industrial system are compatible," NBS