This statistic depicts the annual growth of population in first and second tier cities of China in 2017, sorted by city. By the end of 2017, the population in Shenzhen increased by around *** percent compared to the previous year.

In 2024, about 943.5 million people lived in urban regions in China and 464.8 million in rural. That year, the country had a total population of approximately 1.41 billion people. As of 2024, China was the second most populous country in the world. Urbanization in China Urbanization refers to the process by which people move from rural to urban areas and how a society adapts to the population shift. It is usually seen as a driving force in economic growth, accompanied by industrialization, modernization and the spread of education. Urbanization levels tend to be higher in industrial countries, whereas the degree of urbanization in developing countries remains relatively low. According to World Bank, a mere 19.4 percent of the Chinese population had been living in urban areas in 1980. Since then, China’s urban population has skyrocketed. By 2024, about 67 percent of the Chinese population lived in urban areas. Regional urbanization rates In the last decades, urbanization has progressed greatly in every region of China. Even in most of the more remote Chinese provinces, the urbanization rate surpassed 50 percent in recent years. However, the most urbanized areas are still to be found in the coastal eastern and southern regions of China. The population of Shanghai, the largest city in China and the world’s seventh largest city ranged at around 24 million people in 2023. China’s urban areas are characterized by a developing middle class. Per capita disposable income of Chinese urban households has more than doubled between 2010 and 2020. The emerging middle class is expected to become a significant driver for the continuing growth of the Chinese economy.

Hong Kong HK: Urban Population: % of Total Population data was reported at 100.000 % in 2017. This stayed constant from the previous number of 100.000 % for 2016. Hong Kong HK: Urban Population: % of Total Population data is updated yearly, averaging 98.701 % from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 100.000 % in 2017 and a record low of 85.200 % in 1960. Hong Kong HK: Urban Population: % of Total Population data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Hong Kong SAR – Table HK.World Bank.WDI: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Urban population refers to people living in urban areas as defined by national statistical offices. The data are collected and smoothed by United Nations Population Division.; ; United Nations Population Division. World Urbanization Prospects: 2018 Revision.; Weighted average;

Hong Kong HK: Population in Largest City: as % of Urban Population data was reported at 99.637 % in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 99.540 % for 2016. Hong Kong HK: Population in Largest City: as % of Urban Population data is updated yearly, averaging 99.382 % from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 100.000 % in 2010 and a record low of 94.548 % in 1974. Hong Kong HK: Population in Largest City: as % of Urban Population data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Hong Kong – Table HK.World Bank: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Population in largest city is the percentage of a country's urban population living in that country's largest metropolitan area.; ; United Nations, World Urbanization Prospects.; Weighted average;

In 2024, approximately 67 percent of the total population in China lived in cities. The urbanization rate has increased steadily in China over the last decades. Degree of urbanization in China Urbanization is generally defined as a process of people migrating from rural to urban areas, during which towns and cities are formed and increase in size. Even though urbanization is not exclusively a modern phenomenon, industrialization and modernization did accelerate its progress. As shown in the statistic at hand, the degree of urbanization of China, the world's second-largest economy, rose from 36 percent in 2000 to around 51 percent in 2011. That year, the urban population surpassed the number of rural residents for the first time in the country's history.The urbanization rate varies greatly in different parts of China. While urbanization is lesser advanced in western or central China, in most coastal regions in eastern China more than two-thirds of the population lives already in cities. Among the ten largest Chinese cities in 2021, six were located in coastal regions in East and South China. Urbanization in international comparison Brazil and Russia, two other BRIC countries, display a much higher degree of urbanization than China. On the other hand, in India, the country with the worlds’ largest population, a mere 36.3 percent of the population lived in urban regions as of 2023. Similar to other parts of the world, the progress of urbanization in China is closely linked to modernization. From 2000 to 2024, the contribution of agriculture to the gross domestic product in China shrank from 14.7 percent to 6.8 percent. Even more evident was the decrease of workforce in agriculture.

According to official figures, around 24.8 million permanent residents were living in the administrative area of Shanghai municipality in 2024. This was 71,900 people less than in the previous year. Population development in Shanghai During the economic reform and opening-up period, Shanghai’s population more than doubled and reached 24.5 million in 2013. However, the limits of demographic growth in Chinese megacities became increasingly apparent since the beginning of the 21st century. In 2017, the Shanghai municipal government planned to limit Shanghai's population and to keep the population within the 25 million-threshold until 2035. As a result, the total population has remained relatively stable since 2013. Furthermore, inhabitants are unevenly distributed across the city districts, with the central urban areas having population densities of around 20,000 people or more per square kilometer. Current demographic shifts Under the conditions of restricted demographic inflows, the effect of population aging becomes increasingly apparent in Shanghai. The city traditionally had a low birth rate compared to other regions in China. In recent years, the number of deaths exceeded the number of births, a development that most probably started in 2020. This development is also reflected in the share of people aged 65 and over which increased steadily in recent times. If migration barriers are not lowered, population decrease in Shanghai is likely in the future.

China Number of Prefecture Level City: Population 1 - 2 Million data was reported at 96.000 Unit in 2020. This records a decrease from the previous number of 98.000 Unit for 2019. China Number of Prefecture Level City: Population 1 - 2 Million data is updated yearly, averaging 82.000 Unit from Dec 1978 (Median) to 2020, with 17 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 100.000 Unit in 2017 and a record low of 19.000 Unit in 1978. China Number of Prefecture Level City: Population 1 - 2 Million data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by National Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s Socio-Demographic – Table CN.GE: No of Prefecture Level City by Population.

About this dataset

Context

The dataset tabulates the China town population distribution across 18 age groups. It lists the population in each age group along with the percentage population relative of the total population for China town. The dataset can be utilized to understand the population distribution of China town by age. For example, using this dataset, we can identify the largest age group in China town.

Key observations

The largest age group in China, Maine was for the group of age 55-59 years with a population of 422 (9.60%), according to the 2021 American Community Survey. At the same time, the smallest age group in China, Maine was the 85+ years with a population of 10 (0.23%). Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2017-2021 5-Year Estimates.

Content

When available, the data consists of estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2017-2021 5-Year Estimates.

Age groups:

• Under 5 years
• 5 to 9 years
• 10 to 14 years
• 15 to 19 years
• 20 to 24 years
• 25 to 29 years
• 30 to 34 years
• 35 to 39 years
• 40 to 44 years
• 45 to 49 years
• 50 to 54 years
• 55 to 59 years
• 60 to 64 years
• 65 to 69 years
• 70 to 74 years
• 75 to 79 years
• 80 to 84 years
• 85 years and over

Variables / Data Columns

• Age Group: This column displays the age group in consideration
• Population: The population for the specific age group in the China town is shown in this column.
• % of Total Population: This column displays the population of each age group as a proportion of China town total population. Please note that the sum of all percentages may not equal one due to rounding of values.

Good to know

Margin of Error

Data in the dataset are based on the estimates and are subject to sampling variability and thus a margin of error. Neilsberg Research recommends using caution when presening these estimates in your research.

Custom data

If you do need custom data for any of your research project, report or presentation, you can contact our research staff at research@neilsberg.com for a feasibility of a custom tabulation on a fee-for-service basis.

Inspiration

Neilsberg Research Team curates, analyze and publishes demographics and economic data from a variety of public and proprietary sources, each of which often includes multiple surveys and programs. The large majority of Neilsberg Research aggregated datasets and insights is made available for free download at https://www.neilsberg.com/research/.

Recommended for further research

This dataset is a part of the main dataset for China town Population by Age. You can refer the same here

Hong Kong HK: Population in Largest City data was reported at 7,364,883.000 Person in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 7,302,843.000 Person for 2016. Hong Kong HK: Population in Largest City data is updated yearly, averaging 5,581,213.500 Person from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 7,364,883.000 Person in 2017 and a record low of 2,611,539.000 Person in 1960. Hong Kong HK: Population in Largest City data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Hong Kong SAR – Table HK.World Bank.WDI: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Population in largest city is the urban population living in the country's largest metropolitan area.; ; United Nations, World Urbanization Prospects.; ;

By 2035, over 34 million people are projected to call Shanghai home. To reduce this number, the Chinese Government implemented population controls for the city in 2017 which aimed to limit the population living in the administrative area of Shanghai municipality to just around 25 million people in 2035.

Megacity – Shanghai

As China’s cities become increasingly urbanized, the demographic of this megacity has also changed considerably over the years, with more and more Chinese locals and foreigners opting to dwell in Shanghai for work and cultural opportunities. A huge proportion of residents in the city originate from other regions in China. Over 39 percent of the city’s residents are long-term migrants and Shanghai host’s many foreigners and expats.

A global financial hub as well as the largest city by population, Shanghai is located on China’s central coast, making it an ideal location to accommodate the world’s busiest container port. The economic contribution of the city to China is significant - Shanghai’s gross domestic product contribution amounted to almost 4.7 trillion yuan in 2023. Despite recent restrictions to land made available for construction, the value of investment in real estate development in Shanghai has continued to increase. To mitigate the effects of its high population, the city has stated it will intensify environmental protection measures.

Hong Kong HK: Urban Population data was reported at 7,391,700.000 Person in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 7,336,600.000 Person for 2016. Hong Kong HK: Urban Population data is updated yearly, averaging 5,583,560.000 Person from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 7,391,700.000 Person in 2017 and a record low of 2,620,415.000 Person in 1960. Hong Kong HK: Urban Population data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Hong Kong – Table HK.World Bank: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Urban population refers to people living in urban areas as defined by national statistical offices. It is calculated using World Bank population estimates and urban ratios from the United Nations World Urbanization Prospects. Aggregation of urban and rural population may not add up to total population because of different country coverages.; ; World Bank staff estimates based on the United Nations Population Division's World Urbanization Prospects: 2018 Revision.; Sum;

Population: Household Registration: Birth Rate: Xinjiang: Urumqi data was reported at 11.990 ‰ in 2018. This records a decrease from the previous number of 12.870 ‰ for 2017. Population: Household Registration: Birth Rate: Xinjiang: Urumqi data is updated yearly, averaging 9.870 ‰ from Dec 2010 (Median) to 2018, with 9 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 12.870 ‰ in 2017 and a record low of 8.540 ‰ in 2011. Population: Household Registration: Birth Rate: Xinjiang: Urumqi data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Urumqi Municipal Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s Socio-Demographic – Table CN.GE: Population: Prefecture Level City: Household Registration: Natural Growth Rate.

Population: Household Registration: Urban: Hebei: Xingtai data was reported at 3,600.000 Person th in 2022. This records an increase from the previous number of 3,580.000 Person th for 2021. Population: Household Registration: Urban: Hebei: Xingtai data is updated yearly, averaging 3,444.829 Person th from Dec 2017 (Median) to 2022, with 4 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 3,600.000 Person th in 2022 and a record low of 2,906.124 Person th in 2017. Population: Household Registration: Urban: Hebei: Xingtai data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Xingtai Municipal Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s Socio-Demographic – Table CN.GE: Population: Prefecture Level City: Household Registration: By Residence.

Population: Household Registration: Birth Rate: Hebei: Cangzhou data was reported at 15.471 ‰ in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 15.762 ‰ for 2016. Population: Household Registration: Birth Rate: Hebei: Cangzhou data is updated yearly, averaging 17.626 ‰ from Dec 2010 (Median) to 2017, with 8 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 24.877 ‰ in 2010 and a record low of 15.471 ‰ in 2017. Population: Household Registration: Birth Rate: Hebei: Cangzhou data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Cangzhou Municipal Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s Socio-Demographic – Table CN.GE: Population: Prefecture Level City: Household Registration: Natural Growth Rate.

Population: Household Registration: Natural Growth Rate: Xinjiang: Hami data was reported at 5.690 ‰ in 2018. This records an increase from the previous number of -2.040 ‰ for 2017. Population: Household Registration: Natural Growth Rate: Xinjiang: Hami data is updated yearly, averaging 4.635 ‰ from Dec 2015 (Median) to 2018, with 4 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 6.480 ‰ in 2016 and a record low of -2.040 ‰ in 2017. Population: Household Registration: Natural Growth Rate: Xinjiang: Hami data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Hami Municipal Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s Socio-Demographic – Table CN.GE: Population: Prefecture Level City: Household Registration: Natural Growth Rate.

Population: Usual Residence: Natural Growth Rate: Shaanxi: Xian data was reported at 0.360 ‰ in 2023. This records a decrease from the previous number of 0.780 ‰ for 2022. Population: Usual Residence: Natural Growth Rate: Shaanxi: Xian data is updated yearly, averaging 4.435 ‰ from Dec 2000 (Median) to 2023, with 24 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 7.200 ‰ in 2017 and a record low of 0.360 ‰ in 2023. Population: Usual Residence: Natural Growth Rate: Shaanxi: Xian data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Xian Municipal Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s Socio-Demographic – Table CN.GE: Population: Prefecture Level City: Usual Residence: Natural Growth Rate. Birth rate,death rate and natural growth rate of population are estimated by Xi'an Bureau of Statistics on the basis of population censuses, the one percent sample survey on population, or annual sample surveys on population changes.

Population: Household Registration: Urban: Fujian: Zhangzhou data was reported at 2,730.000 Person th in 2022. This records an increase from the previous number of 2,700.000 Person th for 2021. Population: Household Registration: Urban: Fujian: Zhangzhou data is updated yearly, averaging 2,592.200 Person th from Dec 2017 (Median) to 2022, with 5 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 2,730.000 Person th in 2022 and a record low of 2,230.600 Person th in 2017. Population: Household Registration: Urban: Fujian: Zhangzhou data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Zhangzhou Municipal Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s Socio-Demographic – Table CN.GE: Population: Prefecture Level City: Household Registration: By Residence.

Population: Household Registration: Urban: Xinjiang: Hami data was reported at 270.791 Person th in 2018. This records a decrease from the previous number of 342.547 Person th for 2017. Population: Household Registration: Urban: Xinjiang: Hami data is updated yearly, averaging 319.620 Person th from Dec 2015 (Median) to 2018, with 4 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 342.547 Person th in 2017 and a record low of 270.791 Person th in 2018. Population: Household Registration: Urban: Xinjiang: Hami data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Hami Municipal Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s Socio-Demographic – Table CN.GE: Population: Prefecture Level City: Household Registration: By Residence.

Population: Household Registration: Death Rate: Xinjiang: Hami data was reported at 5.550 ‰ in 2018. This records a decrease from the previous number of 15.040 ‰ for 2017. Population: Household Registration: Death Rate: Xinjiang: Hami data is updated yearly, averaging 5.805 ‰ from Dec 2015 (Median) to 2018, with 4 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 15.040 ‰ in 2017 and a record low of 4.440 ‰ in 2016. Population: Household Registration: Death Rate: Xinjiang: Hami data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Hami Municipal Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s Socio-Demographic – Table CN.GE: Population: Prefecture Level City: Household Registration: Natural Growth Rate.

Population: Household Registration: Natural Growth Rate: Xinjiang: Urumqi data was reported at 3.360 ‰ in 2018. This records an increase from the previous number of -2.490 ‰ for 2017. Population: Household Registration: Natural Growth Rate: Xinjiang: Urumqi data is updated yearly, averaging 6.000 ‰ from Dec 2010 (Median) to 2018, with 9 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 7.590 ‰ in 2014 and a record low of -2.490 ‰ in 2017. Population: Household Registration: Natural Growth Rate: Xinjiang: Urumqi data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Urumqi Municipal Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s Socio-Demographic – Table CN.GE: Population: Prefecture Level City: Household Registration: Natural Growth Rate.