Impact of population aging and declining birth rates on household consumption structure: Evidence from China

The age structure of a population is a crucial indicator of a country's economic development. This study analyzes the impact of population aging and declining birth rates on the household consumption structure in urban and rural China. China, the largest country by population, is selected owing to its significance in population studies. Using a fixed effects model, our findings reveal that in China, a higher proportion of youth in the population positively affects residents' spending on survival consumption while negatively affecting developmental consumption. Conversely, a higher proportion of older adults in the population negatively affects survival consumption while positively influencing developmental consumption.Through the research in this article, it is hoped that the results can provide some reference significance for the changes in population age structure and the development of resident consumption.