Fact box: What is the national census?

How is the data collected?

To get the job done, millions of census workers are deployed across the country to pay house visits and collect personal and family data.

The surveyors make inquiries about topics including ID numbers, marital details, educational backgrounds and professional information. The 2020 census also included people's property ownership and migration history.

In recent years, residents have been encouraged to use smartphones and other digital tools to submit personal and family information.

When did it begin?

Central authorities rolled out the first national census in 1953. It was intended as part of the preparation for the first gathering of national legislators, known as the National People's Congress, in 1954.

Its findings helped legislators make and review China's First Five-Year Plan (1953-57), a blueprint for government priorities, which is updated every five years.