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A population survey that's more than just a head count
By Mu Guangzong (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-09-03 13:59
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BEIJING - China's forthcoming census will be of great significance to the nation's development.
Its huge population - the largest in the world - has always been one of the major issues the Chinese authorities face to achieve a comprehensive, coordinated and sustainable social development.
Since the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949, the country has carried out five national census. Over that period, China has gone through various social changes and the latest census will be of great significance to the country's development.
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China's population is a development issue. The census involves a wide range of aspects, including names, ages, genders, nationalities, education, household registrations, industries involved, occupations, migration behaviors, social security, marriage, birth and death, and living conditions, all of which are closely related to the economy.
Therefore, although it appears the census just checks out population and household status, it is a move to understand the country's overall socio-economic development.
It will not only reflect a macro perspective, such as the population's size, structure, migration flows and distribution, but also reflect a micro perspective, including family structure, intergenerational relations and other related socio-economic characteristics.
Second, the census will help improve people's livelihood. Population is the biggest issue concerning livelihood and how to meet a citizen's needs. It is a national campaign to raise awareness of its importance, and a move to collect demographic data.
The rate of growth helps us understand the trend of population development and enables us to adjust our policies with a forward-looking vision.
Knowing the gender structure is conducive to understand the male-female imbalance, as well as the importance of maintaining its ecological balance.
Knowledge of the age structure helps us deal with all kinds of subpopulations, especially the elderly and those of school age.
The migration distribution index helps us understand population density, to optimize the population distribution structure, and so on.
Third, the census is helpful to detect the rules of growth. In recent years, population changes and socio-economic development have been fast. Population growth has a strong regularity, periodicity and inertia. Many issues need to be viewed and solved with forward thinking and with precautionary and proactive preparations.
For example, adjusting family planning policies need references, but small-scale surveys in the past did not reflect the true picture. The census will provide a rare and comprehensive opportunity to understand the situation.
Also, changes in the student population will affect the allocation of educational resources. Difficulties in kindergarten admission in Beijing reflect the lack of understanding of a changing population.
Fourth, permanent residents from overseas have a bearing on China's reform.
The census is a symbol of the dialogue between China and the world, and the trend of population integration. With globalization, the number of people moving between countries has increased significantly.
China's economic growth is causing increasing number of foreigners to come and live here. Those permanent residents are gradually becoming a driving force of the economy, and their inclusion in the country's population survey is a good idea.
The United Nations recommended in 2007 that all countries and regions carry out population and housing censuses around 2010, and suggested making international population movement as a core issue.
Sixty-three countries have conducted or are conducting census this year, followed by dozens of other countries and regions next year. The worldwide census campaigns have become competitions of mobilization capacity and soft powers among countries.
It is obvious the sixth national census is a test for China's international image and influence.
The author is a professor at the institute of population research, Peking University in Beijing.
For China Daily