Today marks China's population day, and as the world's most populous country, the day takes on significant meaning. Municipal authorities in Beijing are preparing to carry out a census in November, as part of the sixth nationwide census. The whole process will involve 6 million census takers, who will be tasked with finding out the country's latest demographic information.

Results of the eight-month-long census will be released next July and August.

Beijing's authorities said city residents who breached China's family planning policy, by having more than one child, would still be eligible to have their children receive permanent residence.

Overseas residents that have been granted long-term residence in Beijing, including those from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, will be included in the census that begins on November 1st.

Applications for visa and temporary residence won't be affected during the census.

Meanwhile, people who have lived away from their permanent residence in Beijing, must register both at their new locations and their permanent ones.

To match residents to their actual address, the census is expected to check 2.8 million to 3 million local buildings.

By the end of last year, Beijing had 17.55 million residents, including 5.09 million temporary residents.

According to official statistics, China's total population reached 1.334 billion at the end of 2009, an increase of 6.72 million from the end of 2008.

One pressing issue facing China is the challenge of taking care of an aging population.

By the end of 2009, people over 60 years old had reached 167 million, accounting for 12.5 percent of the nation's total population. 2030 will be the beginning of a crucial period, where the effects of an aging population will begin to emerge.

Experts say China's elderly population is expected to reach its peak by 2051.

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