Census to help China prepare for challenges

Demographic dividends should not be only focus

Aging societies is a global phenomenon, and the population aging trend is by and large irreversible. The increase in elderly population is the result of social transition from high rates of reproduction and mortality to low rates of reproduction and mortality.

Yet China is still a very populous country and there is no solid evidence to suggest "China's demographic dividends are disappearing".

Besides, thanks to new technology, the business ecology and manufacturing are undergoing unprecedented changes across the world, including in China. So it is superficial to talk about economic development only in terms of "demographic dividends".

Given the current economic and technological development pattern, even after China has a higher birth rate can we still rely on the so-called "demographic dividends" to maintain our status as the "world's factory" based on the low cost of labor like in the 1980s?

Wan Zhe, secretary-general of the Pangoal Institution academic committee

Let families make their own decisions

The population policy alone, even if accompanied by incentives, cannot help increase the fertility rate. So the authorities should allow couples to make their own family planning.

From the labor market's perspective, demographic dividends can be increased, to a large extent, by advancing science and technology and making institutional changes, rather than by just using policies to help increase new births.

Ma Qiji, a senior researcher on digital economics