Estimates of yearly data cause of gaps with census figures

After the seventh national and provincial census data were released, some people might have been surprised to discover that many indexes, including the total population, population growth, age and gender structures, and the distribution of population between urban and rural areas and among ethnic groups, are not consistent－even have relatively large differences－with the yearly population data published previously.

For example, the 0-14-year-old population in the seventh national census is 253 million, 14 million more than the total number of births, 239 million, in the previous 15 years－between 2006 and 2020. Logically, the population aged 0-14 should have been much less than 239 million given the premature deaths of children in this age group. It might also be surprising to see the 15-59-year-old population in 2020"suddenly" decrease by 20 million compared with 2019.

But it is normal for the census data and previously published annual population data to be different. The annual population data published between two censuses, such as the birth rate, death rate, population growth rate, total population, and the age and ethnic structures, are all based on comprehensive and scientific analysis, calculation and estimation of vital statistics, migration registration data, and sample survey data.