China's demographic tea leaves

Its economic problems due to ageing, low birth rate, and poor gender ratios should serve as a wake-up call for India

A few days ago, Chinese social media published pictures of empty apartment blocks being demolished. It was yet another data point that indicated how badly China was out of step with the global economy.

While every other major economy is struggling to contain inflation, China is trying to induce it with its price index at near-zero. The real estate sector contributes around 30 per cent to the People’s Republic of China’s gross domestic product. If it goes into collapse, highly indebted giant developers like Evergrande could cause global knock-on effects. 

Beyond the proximate causes of the current situation, China faces the grim