After COVID-19 crisis, China with world's largest population begins its census drive

Beijing: China, the country with the most number of people in the world, has now started its population count with an aim to document the demographic changes after facing the COVID-19 crisis.

China which reportedly had a population of 1.37 billion in the last census in 2010, witnessed about 7 million officials and volunteers begin door-to-door survey for the seventh census in the country and in a first, they are also using mobile apps to help crunch the large numbers.

"Carrying out the census is critical to understand the population size, structure and distribution," PTI quoted Ning Jizhe, deputy head of the National Development and Reform Commission, as saying.

As per reports, the Chinese censuses every 10 years determine the population growth, movement patterns and the government then uses the collected data to distribute resources for education, health, transportation, labour, elderly care and other essential services.

In 2010, China's population was recorded at 1,33,97,24,852 which was reportedly an increase of 73,899,804 people - 5.83 per cent.

This is to be noted that China is facing a demographic crisis with a rapidly ageing population after implementing the one-child policy in the late 1970s to slow the population growth. Although, the Chinese government had allowed people to have a second child from 2016 following the fear of China's fast-ageing society and decreasing workforce. 

The Chinese Premier Li Keqiang stated in March 2019 that China's population aged above 60 years increased to 420 million and that of children over six years to 100 million that resulted in putting more pressure on nursing services and daycare centres. 

As per the Chinese government's estimates, the population in the 2020 census could be recorded at 1.42 billion, which will be a 5.99 per cent increase.