Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Prepare for Challenges of Census Now: Official

SHANGHAI faces many challenges to carry out a population census but the city will endeavor to overcome them because a successful census is crucial to making good policies for the next decade, Shanghai Vice Mayor Yang Xiong said yesterday.

"China's census could be the most difficult in the world," Yang said. "Shanghai should prepare because the city is home to roughly 19 million permanent residents, numerous people living here temporarily, and many foreigners. That's a lot of people to count."

Worldwide, more than 50 countries are carrying out or plan to conduct a census this year. The United States reported its population has surpassed 309 million and India 1.1 billion. China is expected to remain the world's most populous country.

The census is an important overview of the city's social and economic conditions, Yang said. It could provide information and guidance for future urban planning, resources development, population management and policies involving health care, traffic and social insurance.

The sixth national census starts on November 1.

For the first time, the census will also include foreigners and people from Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan.

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