China Population and Development Research Center (CPDRC) is a public institution affiliated to the National Population and Family Planning Commission (NPFPC). It was established in May 1980 with the support of UNFPA. Its first name was China Population Information Material Center. It was renamed China Population Information Center in July 1986. In January 1989, it got the new name as China Population and Information Research Center (CPIRC). In July 1995, two characters of this name in Chinese were altered but its name in English remained the same. In November 2003, it got the present name: China Population and Development Research Center (CPDRC).

As a national institution in the field of population studies, CPDRC is mainly engaged in researches on population and development policies and countermeasures; studies on population and development basic theories and public management; and collecting, processing and analyzing information on population and development and providing consultative services.

There are 15 departments/divisions in CPDRC, including Population Research Department, Public Management Research Department, Development and Planning Research Department, Demographic Laboratory, International Research and Liaison Department, Survey & Evaluation Department, Information Service Department, Data & Network Center, Project Management Department, Population and Family Planning Journal Office, China Population and Family Planning Yearbook Office, Training Department, General Office, Financial & Assets Division and Research Coordination Division.

Of all the 98 staff members in CPDRC, professionals with doctor, master or bachelor degrees account for two thirds. Their education background covers various disciplines, such as demography, sociology, economics, statistics, public health, foreign languages and information technology. One fourth of the professionals possess senior professional titles and another one fourth of them possess mid-level professional titles.

Five Superior Fields

A Base of Researches on Population Policies and Countermeasures

1. In-depth study of the relationship between population and economy, society, resources and environment;
2. Participation in researches on national population and development strategy;
3. Assistance to NPFPC in formulating Five-Year Population Development Plans and long-term Development Thinking since the seventh five-year plan period;
4. Completion of a key NPFPC research subjects in 2008: Carry out Scientific Development Concept and Comprehensively Address Population Issues with Chinese Characteristics, which has put forward the strategic thinking on future population and development and a series of policy suggestions;
5. Active advocacy of ICPD Programme of Action and promotion of continuous reform and improvement of population and family planning programme in China;
6. Evidence-based researches in such fields as population and family planning public management and service, reproductive health/AIDS prevention, population and family planning professional team building and E-health, so as to continuously improve the predictability of research results and operational possibility of policy proposals; and
7. Overall technical support to the pilot project of quality of care in family planning in China in such aspects as its designing, start-up, implementation and promotion.

A Base of Resources for NPFPC Information Network

1. An implementing unit of China Population Administration and Decision-making Information System (PADIS), which has already established a data warehouse of 1,491 indicators, a model database of 11 categories of population projection models and four operational systems including the System for the Management of Women of Childbearing Age among the Floating Population, the System of Family Reward & Assistance/Relief, the Statistical System for Population and Family Planning Undertakings and the System for Quick Survey and Dynamic Supervision of Population during its first phase and, in its second phase, will set up a unified national population and family planning information platform, an overall population database, an overall floating population database, and a model database on interaction between population and economy, society, resources and environment; and
2. A focal point of China Popualtion Information Network (China POPIN), in charge of management and maintenance of a group of websites in the field of population and development and development and updating of 6 websites, including China Population Information, China Population and Family Planning – a NPFPC website for publicity to the outside world, China/UNFPA Cooperative Programme CP6, Project of Quality of Care in Family Planning, China/Australia Cooperative Project on Human Rights, and the Fifth Asia Pacific Conference on Reproductive and Sexual Health and Rights, in an effort to provide consultative service for decision-making in the field of population and family planning.

National Population Information Supervision System

1. Obvious advantage in conducting surveys and evaluation by CPDRC, for example, its successive participation in and undertaking of questionnaire designing, technical training and data processing of national population/family planning/reproductive health surveys in 1982, 1997, 2001 and 2006;
2. Evaluation of projects under China/UNFPA Cooperative Programmes CP4, CP5 and CP6; and
3. Operation of China Population Information Supervision System currently covering 120 counties in China to continuously and systematically collect dynamic information of individuals, families and communities for longitudinal tracing of population data.

A Platform for Information Consultation and Dissemination

1. Provision of a platform for exchanges by websites, journals, books, E-publications and so on.
2. Publishing of four formal publications, including Population and Family Planning (launched in 1993) – a NPFPC official publication, China Population and Family Planning Yearbook (launched in 1986) – a national reference book, China Population Today (launched in 1984) – an English journal for worldwide publicity, and Population Abstracts (launched in 1985) – a publication love by the people;
3. Editing restricted publications for decision-making, including Internet Information Abstracts, Important Internet Information, and Population and Development Dynamics;
4. Editing of various kinds of population datasheets and handbooks such as Handbook of Population and Family Planning Data and China Population Datasheet;
5. Translation of international population documents and data materials such as UNFPA Annual Report and PRB World Population Datasheet;
6. Quick survey and information analysis during unexpected events provided as important references for decision-making by governments at various levels; and
7. Establishment of multidimensional information service system for high-level decision-making, management, scientific study and the public.

A Platform for International Exchange and Cooperation

1. CPDRC is a member of Global Population Information Network (Global POPIN) and Asia Pacific Population Information Network (Asia Pacific POPIN). It undertook the tasks as the East and South-East Asia POPIN Secretariat during 1997-2000;
2. In regard to its active international exchange and cooperation, CPDRC has carried out extensive professional contacts with over 80 countries, organizations and institutions, including UNDP, UNFPA, UNICEF, FAO, WHO, Global Alliance for Workers & Communities, Global Fund, Ford Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation, APAP, UNESCAP, JOICFP/JICA, PRB, Harvard University and so on; and
3. CPDRC is preparing for the establishment of a working station for international youth volunteers.

Contact Information