New Zealand's a2 Milk slumps 14% on reports of steep drop in China birth rate

A2 Milk

19/01/2026 03:08

Jan 19 (Reuters) - Shares of New Zealand's a2 Milk ATM.NZ fell about 14% on Monday, their steepest one-day decline in 17 months, after reports showed that the total number of births in its key market, China, had fallen to its lowest level in decades.

The dairy producer's shares fell as much as 13.9% to NZ$9.50 per share, the lowest since late September last year, before trading was halted.

Data from China's National Bureau of Statistics showed the total number of births in China dropped to 7.92 million in 2025, its lowest in decades, from 9.54 million in 2024.

 (Reporting by Sherin Sunny in Bengaluru; Editing by Rashmi Aich)

 ((Sherin.Sunny@thomsonreuters.com;))