In 2024, the sex ratio of the total population in China ranged at approximately 104.3 males to 100 females. Like most other sexual species, the sex ratio in humans tends to be one to one. But due to factors like sex selective abortions and different life expectancy between men and women, the sex ratio varies in different age groups. Gender imbalance in China China belongs to the countries with a very imbalanced sex ratio at birth. In 2023, the sex ratio in the population aging from 0 to 4 years old ranged at around 109 males to 100 females. The high gender inequality can be attributed to the traditional preference for male children in the Chinese society. Although gender identification before birth is not legally allowed in China, selective abortions due to gender preference still exist in many regions of China. The importance of gender equality Gender imbalance can lead to many social problems, like the difficulty of finding a partner. Additionally, a country might also get economic benefits from its gender equality. According to the Global Gender Gap Report which was conducted by the World Economic Forum in 2017, there could be a 2.5 trillion U.S. dollar increase in China’s GDP if the gender gap could be closed. As China’s one-child-policy was officially ended in 2015, the problem of selective abortion due to gender preference is also expected to be alleviated.

The age distribution of China's population by five-year age groups in 2023 demonstrates that there are more females than males in the population for all age groups below 60 to 64 years. The largest gender difference exists for the younger age groups born between 2000 and 2010 when the one-child policy had been enforced most strictly.

China Population: Male: Age 25 to 29 data was reported at 44.602 Person th in 2023. This records a decrease from the previous number of 44.806 Person th for 2022. China Population: Male: Age 25 to 29 data is updated yearly, averaging 51.840 Person th from Dec 1982 (Median) to 2023, with 36 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 60,230.758 Person th in 2000 and a record low of 35.868 Person th in 2006. China Population: Male: Age 25 to 29 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.GA: Population: Sample Survey: By Age and Sex.

China: Ratio of female to male students in tertiary level education: The latest value from 2023 is 1.14 percent, a decline from 1.15 percent in 2022. In comparison, the world average is 1.16 percent, based on data from 62 countries. Historically, the average for China from 1974 to 2023 is 0.91 percent. The minimum value, 0.33 percent, was reached in 1979 while the maximum of 1.2 percent was recorded in 2018.

The gender or sex ratio in China has been a contentious issue since the introduction of the one-child policy in 1979, intended to limit the population of the country. Although the policy is no longer in place, the population gender difference throughout the country is still evident. In 2023, fifteen to nineteen-year-old children had the largest gender disparity of 115.3 males to every 100 females. Gender imbalance While the difference of gender at birth has been decreasing in the country over the past decade, China still boasts the world’s most skewed sex ratio at birth at around 110 males born for every 100 females as of 2023. That means there are about 31 million more men in the country than women. This imbalance likely came from the country’s traditional preference for male children to continue the family lineage, in combination with the population control policies enforced. Where does that leave the population? The surplus of young, single men across the country poses a risk for China in many different socio-economic areas. Some of the roll-on effects include males overrepresenting specific labor markets, savings rates increasing, consumption reducing and violent crime increasing across the country. However, the adult mortality rate in China, that is, the probability of a 15-year-old dying before reaching age 60, was significantly higher for men than for women. For the Chinese population over 60 years of age, the gender ratio is in favor of women, with more females outliving their male counterparts.

Hong Kong HK: Sex Ratio at Birth: Male Births per Female Births data was reported at 1.067 Ratio in 2016. This stayed constant from the previous number of 1.067 Ratio for 2015. Hong Kong HK: Sex Ratio at Birth: Male Births per Female Births data is updated yearly, averaging 1.067 Ratio from Dec 1962 (Median) to 2016, with 20 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 1.067 Ratio in 2016 and a record low of 1.067 Ratio in 2016. Hong Kong HK: Sex Ratio at Birth: Male Births per Female Births 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. Sex ratio at birth refers to male births per female births. The data are 5 year averages.; ; United Nations Population Division. World Population Prospects: 2017 Revision.; Weighted average;

China Population: Male: Age 30 to 34 data was reported at 58.895 Person th in 2023. This records a decrease from the previous number of 60.488 Person th for 2022. China Population: Male: Age 30 to 34 data is updated yearly, averaging 59.638 Person th from Dec 1982 (Median) to 2023, with 36 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 65,360.456 Person th in 2000 and a record low of 30.620 Person th in 1994. China Population: Male: Age 30 to 34 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.GA: Population: Sample Survey: By Age and Sex.

As of 2023, the male population of Guangdong province in China accounted for about 52.64 percent of total population. Guangdong is the most populous province in China, and its population density is higher than in many countries in the world.

Population: Household Registration: Male: Fujian: Xiamen data was reported at 1,463.452 Person th in 2023. This records an increase from the previous number of 1,424.608 Person th for 2022. Population: Household Registration: Male: Fujian: Xiamen data is updated yearly, averaging 937.323 Person th from Dec 2000 (Median) to 2023, with 24 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 1,463.452 Person th in 2023 and a record low of 667.793 Person th in 2000. Population: Household Registration: Male: Fujian: Xiamen data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Xiamen 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 Sex.

China Population: County: Male: Age 35 to 39 data was reported at 16.792 Person th in 2023. This records an increase from the previous number of 15.850 Person th for 2022. China Population: County: Male: Age 35 to 39 data is updated yearly, averaging 29.854 Person th from Dec 1982 (Median) to 2023, with 35 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 32,871.502 Person th in 2000 and a record low of 12.892 Person th in 2019. China Population: County: Male: Age 35 to 39 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.GA: Population: Sample Survey: By Age and Sex: Rural.

In 2024, the average number of children born per 1,000 people in China ranged at ****. The birth rate has dropped considerably since 2016, and the number of births fell below the number of deaths in 2022 for the first time in decades, leading to a negative population growth rate. Recent development of the birth rate Similar to most East-Asian countries and territories, demographics in China today are characterized by a very low fertility rate. As low fertility in the long-term limits economic growth and leads to heavy strains on the pension and health systems, the Chinese government decided to support childbirth by gradually relaxing strict birth control measures, that had been in place for three decades. However, the effect of this policy change was considerably smaller than expected. The birth rate increased from **** births per 1,000 inhabitants in 2010 to ***** births in 2012 and remained on a higher level for a couple of years, but then dropped again to a new low in 2018. This illustrates that other factors constrain the number of births today. These factors are most probably similar to those experienced in other developed countries as well: women preferring career opportunities over maternity, high costs for bringing up children, and changed social norms, to name only the most important ones. Future demographic prospects Between 2020 and 2023, the birth rate in China dropped to formerly unknown lows, most probably influenced by the coronavirus pandemic. As all COVID-19 restrictions were lifted by the end of 2022, births figures showed a catch-up effect in 2024. However, the scope of the rebound might be limited. A population breakdown by five-year age groups indicates that the drop in the number of births is also related to a shrinking number of people with child-bearing age. The age groups between 15 and 29 years today are considerably smaller than those between 30 and 44, leaving less space for the birth rate to increase. This effect is exacerbated by a considerable gender gap within younger age groups in China, with the number of females being much lower than that of males.

The graph shows the sex ratio in the age group of 0 to 4 years in China from 2013 to 2023. In 2023, the ratio in that group was more than 109 boys to 100 girls. The sex ratio of the total population in China was 104.23 males to 100 females in 2023.

Population: Household Registration: Male: Zhejiang: Taizhou data was reported at 3,068.931 Person th in 2023. This records a decrease from the previous number of 3,082.195 Person th for 2022. Population: Household Registration: Male: Zhejiang: Taizhou data is updated yearly, averaging 3,023.050 Person th from Dec 2000 (Median) to 2023, with 24 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 3,095.093 Person th in 2020 and a record low of 2,827.700 Person th in 2000. Population: Household Registration: Male: Zhejiang: Taizhou data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Tai zhou 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 Sex.

In 2024, the mortality rate in China ranged at approximately 7.76 deaths per 1,000 inhabitants. The mortality rate in China displayed an uneven development over the last two decades. This is mainly related to the very uneven sizes of Chinese age groups, improvements in health care, and the occurrence of epidemics. However, an overall growing trend is undisputable and related to China's aging population. As the share of the population aged 60 and above will be growing significantly over the upcoming two decades, the mortality rate will further increase in the years ahead. Population in China China was the second most populous country in the world in 2024. However, due to several mechanisms put into place by the Chinese government as well as changing circumstances in the working and social environment of the Chinese people, population growth has subsided over the past decades and finally turned negative in 2022. The major factor for this development was a set of policies introduced by the Chinese government in 1979, including the so-called one-child policy, which was intended to improve people’s living standards by limiting the population growth. However, with the decreasing birth rate and slower population growth, China nowadays is facing the problems of a rapidly aging population. Birth control in China According to the one-child policy, a married couple was only allowed to have one child. Only under certain circumstances were parents allowed to have a second child. As the performance of family control had long been related to the assessment of local government’s achievements, violations of the rule were severely punished. The birth control in China led to a decreasing birth rate and a more skewed gender ratio of new births due to a widely preference for male children in the Chinese society. Nowadays, since China’s population is aging rapidly, the one-child policy has been re-considered as an obstacle for the country’s further economic development. Since 2014, the one-child policy has been gradually relaxed and fully eliminated at the end of 2015. In May 2021, a new three-child policy has been introduced. However, many young Chinese people today are not willing to have more children due to high costs of raising a child, especially in urban areas.

China Population: County: Male: Age 45 to 49 data was reported at 16.458 Person th in 2023. This records a decrease from the previous number of 17.493 Person th for 2022. China Population: County: Male: Age 45 to 49 data is updated yearly, averaging 23.807 Person th from Dec 1982 (Median) to 2023, with 35 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 27,694.279 Person th in 2000 and a record low of 13.963 Person th in 1994. China Population: County: Male: Age 45 to 49 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.GA: Population: Sample Survey: By Age and Sex: Rural.

The statistic shows the share of adult population who smoke in China in selected years from 2000 to 2020, broken down by gender. In 2020, approximately 1.7 percent of Chinese women smoked tobacco products.

Population: Household Registration: Male: Jiangsu: Huaian data was reported at 2,807.100 Person th in 2023. This records a decrease from the previous number of 2,826.800 Person th for 2022. Population: Household Registration: Male: Jiangsu: Huaian data is updated yearly, averaging 2,811.050 Person th from Dec 2000 (Median) to 2023, with 22 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 2,912.400 Person th in 2016 and a record low of 2,618.800 Person th in 2000. Population: Household Registration: Male: Jiangsu: Huaian data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Huaian 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 Sex.

Population: Household Registration: Male: Guangdong: Heyuan data was reported at 1,908.800 Person th in 2023. This records a decrease from the previous number of 1,916.441 Person th for 2022. Population: Household Registration: Male: Guangdong: Heyuan data is updated yearly, averaging 1,832.381 Person th from Dec 2000 (Median) to 2023, with 24 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 1,916.441 Person th in 2022 and a record low of 1,648.684 Person th in 2000. Population: Household Registration: Male: Guangdong: Heyuan data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Heyuan 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 Sex.

As of 2023, the bulk of the Chinese population was aged between 25 and 59 years, amounting to around half of the population. A breakdown of the population by broad age groups reveals that around 61.3 percent of the total population was in working age between 16 and 59 years in 2023. Age cohorts below 25 years were considerably smaller, although there was a slight growth trend in recent years. Population development in China Population development in China over the past decades has been strongly influenced by political and economic factors. After a time of high fertility rates during the Maoist regime, China introduced birth-control measures in the 1970s, including the so-called one-child policy. The fertility rate dropped accordingly from around six children per woman in the 1960s to below two at the end of the 20th century. At the same time, life expectancy increased consistently. In the face of a rapidly aging society, the government gradually lifted the one-child policy after 2012, finally arriving at a three-child policy in 2021. However, like in most other developed countries nowadays, people in China are reluctant to have more than one or two children due to high costs of living and education, as well as changed social norms and private values. China’s top-heavy age pyramid The above-mentioned developments are clearly reflected in the Chinese age pyramid. The age cohorts between 30 and 39 years are the last two larger age cohorts. The cohorts between 15 and 24, which now enter childbearing age, are decisively smaller, which will have a negative effect on the number of births in the coming decade. When looking at a gender distribution of the population pyramid, a considerable gender gap among the younger age cohorts becomes visible, leaving even less room for growth in birth figures.

In 2020, about 17.9 percent of the population in China had been 60 years and older. This share is growing rapidly and was estimated to reach 40 percent by 2050. China's aging population With China’s boomer generation growing old and life expectancy increasing at the same time, the number of people at an age of 60 or above nearly doubled between 2000 and 2020 and reached around 255 million. This development is even more pronounced for the age group of 80 and above, which nearly tripled and is expected to reach a size of roughly 132 million in 2050, up from only 32 million in 2020. At the same time, the share of the working-age population is forecasted to decrease gradually from 64 percent of the total population in 2020 to around 50 percent in 2050, which could pose a heavy economic strain on the social security system. The old-age dependency ratio, which denotes the relation of the old-age to the working-age population, is estimated to grow from 18.2 percent in 2020 to more than 50 percent in 2050, implying that by then, statistically, two working-age adults would have to support one elderly. Strain on the social security net During the last 15 years, China's government has successfully increased the coverage of the pension insurance and health insurance. Today, most of the people are covered by some kind of social insurance. Conditions in the pension system are generous, with a regular retirement age for males at 60 years and women at 50 or 55. With the number of retirees increasing quickly, the social insurance system is now under pressure. From an economic point of view, improving the productivity of China's economy would be the primary choice for mitigating alleged inconsistencies of the system. However, without increasing the burden on the working people while tightening payment conditions, balancing the social security net could prove to be challenging.