Nikkei:
Some experts said that the fifth and sixth national population censuses underwent a period of data adjustment after the censuses were completed. Were any adjustments made after this latest census such as adjusting for the undercount rate? Thank you.
Zhang Yi:
Thank you for your question. We all know that the population census is an overall survey. The seventh census covered all respondents based on a uniform standard at a uniform time. Data from this census was reported directly in real-time through the complete adoption of digital data collection, and the results can be collected and calculated directly after auditing. No data adjustment was needed afterward.
The post-enumeration survey showed that the undercount rate of the seventh census was 0.05%. According to the United Nations census recommendations, the undercount rate can or can not be added to the total population.Some countries may add it while others may not. The Chinese national population information just released is a directly summary of the population registered in the census and does not include those missed within the undercount rate. Thank you.
The Poster News APP:
China's aging population is always an issue that concerns the public. According to census findings, how is the aging population situation in our country? Given the increasing burden of elderly care in families and society, how should we best optimize the population structure and solve the problem of our aging population? When will the policy for extending the retirement age be implemented? Thank you.
Ning Jizhe:
The census shows that people in the age bracket of 60 and above accounts for 18.70% of China's total population, and people aged 65 or above account for 13.50%. The aging population in our country has the following characteristics.
First, the aging population is huge. There are 264.02 million people in the age bracket of 60 and above, including 190.64 million people aged 65 and above. In China's 31 provinces, 16 provinces have more than 5 million people in the age bracket of 65 and above, while six provinces have more than 10 million people aged above 65.
Second, the aging population is rapidly growing. From 2010 to 2020, the proportion of people in the age bracket of 60 and above increased by 5.44 percentage points, while people in the age bracket of 65 and above increased by 4.63 percentage points. The ascensional range rose by 2.51 percentage points and 2.72 percentage points, respectively, compared to the last decade.
Third, the rural-urban divide between the aging population is obvious. The proportion of people aged 60 and above and people aged 65 and above in rural areas were 23.81% and 17.72% respectively, 7.99 and 6.61 percentage points higher than that of in urban areas. Besides economic and social reasons, rural-urban differences in the aging population are also closely related to migration.
Fourth, the quality of life among aging people rose continuously. The number of people aged 60 and above with high school or university education reached 36.69 million, an increase of 20.85 million compared to 2010. That proportion accounts for 13.90% of the total population in the age bracket of 60 and above, up by 4.98 percentage points compared with a decade ago. Over the past ten years, life expectancy also increased continuously. In 2020, there were 35.8 million people in the age bracket of 80 and above, accounting for 2.54% of the total population, which increased by 0.98 percentage point to 14.85 million compared to 2010.
The aging population is an important trend in social development, and it will be China's basic national condition for a long time in the future, which brings both challenges and opportunities. For example, from the perspective of challenges, the aging population will reduce the supply of labor, increase the burdens on families concerning elderly care, and raise the pressure to provide basic public services. At the same time, the aging population has promoted the development of the "silver-hair" economy, expanded products and services consumption for elderly people, and helped boost technical advances. Moreover, among China's population aged 60 and above, people in the age bracket of 60 to 69 account for 55.83% of the total elderly population. Thanks to their advantages in knowledge, experience, skills, and good physical conditions, they have great potential to contribute their remaining energy to society.
The fifth plenary session of the 19th CPC Central Committee proposed plans for specific measures to address the aging population as a major national strategy now and for some time in the future. Next, we will develop and make good use of the census data and carry out serious studies and in-depth analysis to provide statistical support for policy-making.
