China conducts the census every ten years to determine population growth, movement patterns and other trends, using the findings to apportion resources for education, health, transportation, labor, elderly care and other services. The national birth rate last year was the slowest since the founding of Communist-ruled China in 1949, with many Chinese today choosing smaller families amid rising living costs. The government estimates the 2020 census could update the population to 1.42 billion, a 5.99 percent increase. The National Statistics Bureau, which oversees the census, vowed in May that all personal data gathered during the process will be kept strictly confidential and used for no other purpose than the census. The government in mid-October also separately unveiled a draft personal data protection law, which outlines stiff punishments for violators.

Source: Manila Times November 01, 2020 05:37 UTC