China's population grows to 1.341b

China’s population increased to 1.341 billion by the end of 2010, the National Bureau of Statistics said on Monday, state media reported. The preliminary figure, which is based on a sample survey, shows the country grew by 6.3 million people last year, up from 1.3347 billion at the end of 2009. A more accurate figure is expected to come out in April, when the government tallies results of the national census of 2010. “The figure will be very close to the census results…It may compel policymakers to adjust current population policies as early as April,” said Yuan Xin, a leading member of the National Population and Family Planning Commission. While the decades-old policy limits most urban couples to just one child, Yuan suggested adjustments may allow urban couples – if either was a single child – to have a second child.