More Chinese hospitals are shutting down their newborn delivery services due to a lack of demand stemming from a declining population and birth rate. At least four hospitals across three provinces announced the closure of their obstetrics departments in the last month alone, a Semafor review found. The declining population – which fell for a second consecutive year in 2023 – is forcing hospitals to sacrifice once-vital services to prioritize its aging citizens, as the government struggles to convince women to have more babies.