When the People's Republic of China was founded in 1949, the population numbered 541.67 million. Owing to China's stable society, rapid development of production, improvement in medical and health conditions, insufficient awareness of the importance of population growth control, and shortage of experience, the population grew rapidly, reaching 806.71 million in 1969. Since the 1970s, China has implemented a policy of family planning to control population growth, which has brought about a decline in birth rate. By 2006, the annual rate of population growth had decreased to 12.09 per thousand. Now China's population reproduction picture has basically been turned around into one characterized by low rates of birth, death and increase.

 In line with the Outline of the Eleventh Five-Year Plan (2006-2010) for National Economic and Social Development, adopted at the Fourth Session of the Tenth NPC in March 2006, the annual natural increase of China's population shall be controlled under eight per thousand, so as to ensure the population not to exceed 1.36 billion by 2010.