China reports population growth closer to zero in 2020 May 10, 2021 at 05:32PM

China's population growth is falling closer to zero as fewer couples have children, the government announced Tuesday, adding to strains on an aging society with a shrinking workforce. The population rose by 72 million over the past decade to 1.411 billion in 2020, the National Bureau of Statistics said. It said annual growth averaged 0.53%, decelerating from the previous decade.