China's two - child policy has failed to make any impact on the country's low birth rate as the number of newborns dropped by 20 lakh last year and the decline is expected to continue, a media report.

China ended its decades old one - child policy on 2016 and permitted couples to have two chlidren as the population of the elderly rose, with declining numbers of young people. China had more than 23.9 crore people aged 60 or above at the end of 2016,16.7per cent of the country's total population, the ministry of Civil Affairs had said in August 2017.

Chinese demographers said that the number of newborns in 2018, the third year after the country fully implemented the two - child policy, may have dropped by more than 20lakh and the birth population will continue to fall, state - run 'Global Times' reported.