On what date did China's seventh national population census begin?

China’s seventh national population census began on 1 November 2020.

The census was conducted by China’s National Bureau of Statistics and counted residents across mainland China, while also recording relevant foreign residents and citizens living abroad temporarily. Approximately seven million census workers took part in the operation, which continued through 10 December 2020.

The census used a mixture of traditional household visits and digital reporting. Residents could provide information through online channels, while enumerators gathered and checked data in the field. The results were important for measuring population size, age structure, migration and regional changes after a decade of rapid urbanisation and economic development.

The date is sometimes confused with the publication date of the results. Preliminary results were released on 11 May 2021, several months after enumeration began. The census counted 1,411,778,724 people in mainland China as of the 1 November reference date; Hong Kong and Macau reported their populations separately.