(Yicai) Jan. 17 -- China's birth rate increased last year, with the number of newborns climbing to 9.54 million thanks to more government support and a slight effect from Chinese people wanting to have children during the Year of the Dragon.

The birth rate rose to 6.77 per 1,000 people last year from 6.39 the year before, according to data the National Bureau of Statistics released today. Newborns increased by 520,000.

Tianmen, in China's Hubei province, saw the number of births jump 17 percent thanks to support policies to encourage births, the city said in its recent government work report. In addition, many Chinese hospitals released their latest labor data at the end of last year, with most seeing significant growth and some even record highs.

The increase in birth rate last rate can be attributed to several factors. First, the Chinese government has been enhancing policy support to encourage childbirth with more subsidies, longer holidays, childcare services, medical care, and housing security.

Second, some experts previously pointed out that people have a special preference for having kids during the Year of the Dragon, the fifth in the 12-year cycle of the Chinese zodiac signs. The number of newborns was expected to rise last year after a small peak 12 years ago, they noted.

Finally, some people postponed plans to get married and have kids until 2023 and later due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Editor: Martin Kadiev