Beijing, Jan 21 (IANS): A rapidly ageing China reported its lowest birth rate last year since 1961 with the country witnessing 15.23 million new births.

The world's most populous country has failed to register an increase in its birth rate despite the government scrapping the decades-old one-child policy in 2016.

China's National Statistics Bureau on Monday said that 2018 saw the birth of 15.23 babies. In 2017, the figure was 17.23 million, a drop from 17.86 million in 2016.

In 1961, the last year of Mao Zedong's infamous Great Leap movement, China saw less than 12 million babies born.

The 1979 one-child policy and increase in the life expectancy have given China a greying population.

Of the 1.3 billion people, over 240 million are above 60 years. The figure is expected to reach 487 million in 2050.

The falling birth rate is the cause of worry for Beijing, which has taken a number of measures to correct the problem.

The government encourages its youth to date. Some of the universities have dating courses, while a province has decided to give its single employees two and half day leave to have more time.