What You Need To Know:
China’s National Bureau of Statistics is set to conduct a nationwide survey in November to reevaluate population policies. This move comes as authorities grapple with the country’s declining birth rate and its first population drop in six decades, alongside rapid aging. Beijing is implementing a range of measures, including financial incentives and boosting childcare facilities, to address this issue urgently.
The survey will cover urban and rural areas across the country, according to state media reports. The aim is to “precisely and promptly monitor China’s population changes and provide a basis for the Communist Party and the government to formulate national economic, social development, and population-related policies,” as stated by the bureau.
The Details:
The last census was conducted in November 2020, revealing the slowest growth rate since the 1950s. The exact number of individuals included in this survey remains unspecified.
Starting November 1st, a government surveying agency will visit households for data collection, or respondents can opt for an online questionnaire.
In 2022, the country reported a drop of roughly 850,000 people in a population of 1.41175 billion, marking the first decline since 1961, the last year of China’s Great Famine.
