SHANGHAI: The population of Chinese mainland grew to 1.412 billion in 2020, up from 1.4 billion at the end of 2019, according to the results of its once-a-decade population census, which were released when China’s population development entered a critical turning point with a rapidly aging population and population growth soon ending a five-decade trend of growth.

Chinese observers said the seventh national population census results, revealing China’s population is not just declining but also its demographic structure is deteriorating with a growing aging population, will serve as an important reference for China’s population and economic policy adjustment as well as plans to put off retirement, which may come in the next year or two.