Carlos Barria / Reuters

People enter a subway station in People's Square, Shanghai on April 28.

China's population is aging rapidly, the government said Thursday, though its leaders are refusing to relax strict family planning controls that are part of the cause.

The results of a national census conducted late last year show the proportion of elderly people in the country of 1.34 billion jumped, while that of young people plunged sharply.

The census results, announced Thursday, also show that half the population now lives in cities. Continue reading.