China’s total population will arrive at around 1.42 billion by 2020, the National Health and Family Planning Commission said in its recent plan.

According to the 13th Five-Year Plan (2016-2020) for family planning in China, the total fertility rate will increase to about 1.8 births per woman, and the sex ratio at birth will be reduced to below 112 by 2020.

Previous figures from the National Bureau of Statistics showed that the gross population in the Chinese mainland was about 1.37 billion, meaning the national population is expected to grow by 45 million during the 13th Five-Year Plan period.

During the last Five-Year Plan period, the sex ratio of live male infants to live female infants decreased from 117.94 to 113.51, and is expected to continue decreasing through 2020. The phenomenon of illegal sex identification and resultant abortions will be further curtailed in accordance with the law.

In addition, the plan emphasized the need for maternal and reproductive healthcare resources to be rationally allocated, including the establishment of clinics for women carrying high-risk pregnancies and the extension of maternity leaves.