On May 11, the State Council Information Office of China (SCIO) held a press conference and revealed the 7th national population census data. 

In 2020, China's total population reached 1.41 billion,  growing from 1.34 billion a decade ago. Regarding the birth rate, Ning Jizhe, head of the National Bureau of Statistics, summarized three characteristics: a large number of newborns, a high proportion of second-child, and a lower fertility rate.

In 2016 and 2017, births in China rose sharply, over 18 million and 17 million respectively. They were 2 million and 1 million more than before the year when the universal two-child policy was implemented. However, since 2018, the number of newborns has fallen and lands at 12 million in 2020.

From 2014 to 2017, the proportion of second child in the newborns soared from 30% to 50% between 2013 and 2017. Since then, although the percentage has slightly dropped, it is still higher than 40%. Due to the adjustment made to the family planning policy, more than 1 million second-child births were recorded, he noted. 

Besides, the fertility rates have been shrinking. According to census data, China's fertility rate stood at 1.3 in 2020, which is already low, although fertile women are willing to have 1.8 children on average. The lower fertility rate is mainly due to the continuous declining number of females at childbearing age, along with the idea of having a second child weaken gradually. Ning also pointed out from 2020, the pandemic has intensified people's uncertainty of life and deepened the fear for a hospital birth, further lowering people's eagerness for childbearing.

The low birth rate is also a result of socio-economic development. Ning claimed that due to the changes in the mindset by industrialization and modernization, it has become a common problem for most developed countries, and it will be a realistic problem faced by China,