Beijing's population climbs to 21.7 million

Beijing's population grew marginally by 0.1 per cent to touch 21.7 million in 2016 even as the Chinese capital city plans to cap total population at 23 million by 2020.
Beijing's registered urban population stood at 18.8 million last year, over 86 per cent of the total permanent population, said the city statistics bureau.
The number of Beijing's permanent residents, holders of Beijing residence certificates, grew marginally by 0.1 per cent to 21.7 million last year, Pang Jiangqian, deputy head of the city statistics bureau said.
Residents aged between 15 and 59 constituted 73.7 per cent of the total, those aged 14 and under 10.3 per cent and the over-60s accounted for 16 per cent.

Beijing aims to cap its population at 23 million by 2020, and lower the population of permanent residents in the city proper by 15 percent from that in 2014.
The city's population has expanded rapidly in recent years, as migrants from other parts of the country arrive seeking jobs.