Migrants shrink by 1.7 million

Govt encouraging people to settle where they work played a role

China's population of migrant workers saw a decline for the second consecutive year in 2016 - to 245 million - according to a report released by the National Health and Family Planning Commission on Friday.

Last year, China's migrating population decreased by 1.7 million from 2015, the report said. Before 2015, the group had been growing, from 230 million in 2011 to a peak of 253 million in 2014, the report said.