In 2021, around **** million people were estimated to be living in the urban area of Shanghai. Shanghai was the largest city in China in 2021, followed by Beijing, with around **** million inhabitants. The rise of the new first-tier cities The past decades have seen widespread and rapid urbanization and demographic transition in China. While the four first-tier megacities, namely Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen, are still highly attractive to people and companies due to their strong ability to synergize the competitive economic and social resources, some lower-tier cities are already facing declining populations, especially those in the northeastern region. Below the original four first-tier cities, 15 quickly developing cities are sharing the cake of the moving population with improving business vitality and GDP growth potential. These new first-tier cities are either municipalities directly under the central government, such as Chongqing and Tianjin, or regional central cities and provincial capitals, like Chengdu and Wuhan, or open coastal cities in the economically developed eastern regions. From urbanization to metropolitanization As more and more Chinese people migrate to large cities for better opportunities and quality of life, the ongoing urbanization has further evolved into metropolitanization. Among those metropolitans, Shenzhen's population exceeded **** million in 2020, a nearly ** percent increase from a decade ago, compared to eight percent in the already densely populated Shanghai. However, with people rushing into the big-four cities, the cost of housing, and other living standards, are soaring. As of 2020, the average sales price for residential real estate in Shenzhen exceeded ****** yuan per square meter. As a result, the fast-growing and more cost-effective new first-tier cities would be more appealing in the coming years. Furthermore, Shanghai and Beijing have set plans to control the size of their population to ** and ** million, respectively, before 2035.

China is a vast and diverse country and population density in different regions varies greatly. In 2024, the estimated population density of the administrative area of Shanghai municipality reached about 3,911 inhabitants per square kilometer, whereas statistically only around three people were living on one square kilometer in Tibet. Population distribution in China China's population is unevenly distributed across the country: while most people are living in the southeastern half of the country, the northwestern half – which includes the provinces and autonomous regions of Tibet, Xinjiang, Qinghai, Gansu, and Inner Mongolia – is only sparsely populated. Even the inhabitants of a single province might be unequally distributed within its borders. This is significantly influenced by the geography of each region, and is especially the case in the Guangdong, Fujian, or Sichuan provinces due to their mountain ranges. The Chinese provinces with the largest absolute population size are Guangdong in the south, Shandong in the east and Henan in Central China. Urbanization and city population Urbanization is one of the main factors which have been reshaping China over the last four decades. However, when comparing the size of cities and urban population density, one has to bear in mind that data often refers to the administrative area of cities or urban units, which might be much larger than the contiguous built-up area of that city. The administrative area of Beijing municipality, for example, includes large rural districts, where only around 200 inhabitants are living per square kilometer on average, while roughly 20,000 residents per square kilometer are living in the two central city districts. This is the main reason for the huge difference in population density between the four Chinese municipalities Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, and Chongqing shown in many population statistics.

China Population: City: Female: Age 30 to 34 data was reported at 26.107 Person th in 2023. This records a decrease from the previous number of 27.300 Person th for 2022. China Population: City: Female: Age 30 to 34 data is updated yearly, averaging 17.819 Person th from Dec 1982 (Median) to 2023, with 35 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 29,556.203 Person th in 2020 and a record low of 6.818 Person th in 1994. China Population: City: Female: 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: City.

Actual value and historical data chart for China Population In Largest City

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.

China Population: Prefecture Level City data was reported at 1,291,941.900 Person th in 2015. This records an increase from the previous number of 1,289,538.000 Person th for 2014. China Population: Prefecture Level City data is updated yearly, averaging 1,194,579.100 Person th from Dec 1996 (Median) to 2015, with 20 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 1,291,941.900 Person th in 2015 and a record low of 897,719.200 Person th in 1997. China Population: Prefecture Level City 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: Population: Prefecture Level City.

China Population: Education Level: City: Primary: Female data was reported at 51.402 Person th in 2023. This records an increase from the previous number of 50.810 Person th for 2022. China Population: Education Level: City: Primary: Female data is updated yearly, averaging 31.382 Person th from Dec 1997 (Median) to 2023, with 27 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 49,064.541 Person th in 2020 and a record low of 25.979 Person th in 2008. China Population: Education Level: City: Primary: Female 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: Level of Education.

Population: Liaoning: Dalian: Usual Residence data was reported at 7,539.000 Person th in 2023. This records an increase from the previous number of 7,450.785 Person th for 2020. Population: Liaoning: Dalian: Usual Residence data is updated yearly, averaging 6,430.216 Person th from Dec 2004 (Median) to 2023, with 10 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 7,539.000 Person th in 2023 and a record low of 6,015.000 Person th in 2004. Population: Liaoning: Dalian: Usual Residence data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Dalian Municipal Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s Socio-Demographic – Table CN.GE: Population: Prefecture Level City.

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.

The graph shows the population growth in China from 2000 to 2024. In 2024, the Chinese population decreased by about 0.1 percent or 1.39 million to around 1.408 billion people. Declining population growth in China Due to strict birth control measures by the Chinese government as well as changing family and work situations of the Chinese people, population growth has subsided over the past decades. Although the gradual abolition of the one-child policy from 2014 on led to temporarily higher birth figures, growth rates further decreased in recent years. As of 2024, leading countries in population growth could almost exclusively be found on the African continent and the Arabian Peninsula. Nevertheless, as of mid 2024, Asia ranked first by a wide margin among the continents in terms of absolute population. Future development of Chinese population The Chinese population reached a maximum of 1,412.6 million people in 2021 but decreased by 850,000 in 2022 and another 2.08 million in 2023. Until 2022, China had still ranked the world’s most populous country, but it was overtaken by India in 2023. Apart from the population decrease, a clear growth trend in Chinese cities is visible. By 2024, around 67 percent of Chinese people lived in urban areas, compared to merely 36 percent in 2000.

Population: Household Registration: Urban: Chongqing data was reported at 17,107.100 Person th in 2022. This records an increase from the previous number of 16,926.200 Person th for 2021. Population: Household Registration: Urban: Chongqing data is updated yearly, averaging 12,776.400 Person th from Dec 2000 (Median) to 2022, with 23 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 17,107.100 Person th in 2022 and a record low of 6,608.913 Person th in 2000. Population: Household Registration: Urban: Chongqing data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Chongqing 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. The agriculture and non-agriculture population of household registration from 2016 adopted the classification of urban and rural population.

Population: Census: Henan: Anyang data was reported at 5,477.614 Person th in 12-01-2020. This records an increase from the previous number of 5,172.834 Person th for 12-01-2010. Population: Census: Henan: Anyang data is updated decadal, averaging 5,172.834 Person th from Dec 2000 (Median) to 12-01-2020, with 3 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 5,477.614 Person th in 12-01-2020 and a record low of 5,161.106 Person th in 12-01-2000. Population: Census: Henan: Anyang data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Anyang Municipal Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s Socio-Demographic – Table CN.GE: Population: Prefecture Level City: By Census.

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.

Population: Census: Hunan: Zhuzhou data was reported at 3,902.738 Person th in 12-01-2020. This records an increase from the previous number of 3,855.609 Person th for 12-01-2010. Population: Census: Hunan: Zhuzhou data is updated decadal, averaging 3,855.609 Person th from Dec 2000 (Median) to 12-01-2020, with 3 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 3,902.738 Person th in 12-01-2020 and a record low of 3,581.820 Person th in 12-01-2000. Population: Census: Hunan: Zhuzhou data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Zhuzhou Municipal Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s Socio-Demographic – Table CN.GE: Population: Prefecture Level City: By Census.

Population: Census: Shandong: Linyi data was reported at 11,018.365 Person th in 12-01-2020. This records an increase from the previous number of 10,039.400 Person th for 12-01-2010. Population: Census: Shandong: Linyi data is updated decadal, averaging 10,039.400 Person th from Dec 2000 (Median) to 12-01-2020, with 3 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 11,018.365 Person th in 12-01-2020 and a record low of 9,942.652 Person th in 12-01-2000. Population: Census: Shandong: Linyi data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Linyi Municipal Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s Socio-Demographic – Table CN.GE: Population: Prefecture Level City: By Census.

Population: City: Age 0 to 14: Beijing data was reported at 2.353 Person th in 2023. This records an increase from the previous number of 2.257 Person th for 2022. Population: City: Age 0 to 14: Beijing data is updated yearly, averaging 1.479 Person th from Dec 1997 (Median) to 2023, with 27 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 2,152.936 Person th in 2020 and a record low of 0.838 Person th in 2003. Population: City: Age 0 to 14: Beijing 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 Region: City.

Population: City: Age 0 to 14: Zhejiang data was reported at 4.610 Person th in 2023. This records a decrease from the previous number of 4.666 Person th for 2022. Population: City: Age 0 to 14: Zhejiang data is updated yearly, averaging 2.329 Person th from Dec 1997 (Median) to 2023, with 27 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 4,580.804 Person th in 2020 and a record low of 1.421 Person th in 1998. Population: City: Age 0 to 14: Zhejiang 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 Region: City.

Population: Census: Gansu: Tianshui data was reported at 2,984.659 Person th in 12-01-2020. This records a decrease from the previous number of 3,262.548 Person th for 12-01-2010. Population: Census: Gansu: Tianshui data is updated decadal, averaging 3,219.323 Person th from Dec 2000 (Median) to 12-01-2020, with 3 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 3,262.548 Person th in 12-01-2010 and a record low of 2,984.659 Person th in 12-01-2020. Population: Census: Gansu: Tianshui data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Tianshui Municipal Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s Socio-Demographic – Table CN.GE: Population: Prefecture Level City: By Census.

Population: Census: Yunnan: Zhaotong data was reported at 5,092.611 Person th in 12-01-2020. This records a decrease from the previous number of 5,213.000 Person th for 12-01-2010. Population: Census: Yunnan: Zhaotong data is updated decadal, averaging 5,092.611 Person th from Dec 2000 (Median) to 12-01-2020, with 3 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 5,213.000 Person th in 12-01-2010 and a record low of 4,592.388 Person th in 12-01-2000. Population: Census: Yunnan: Zhaotong data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Zhaotong Municipal Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s Socio-Demographic – Table CN.GE: Population: Prefecture Level City: By Census.

Population: Census: Shandong: Yantai data was reported at 7,102.116 Person th in 12-01-2020. This records an increase from the previous number of 6,968.200 Person th for 12-01-2010. Population: Census: Shandong: Yantai data is updated decadal, averaging 6,968.200 Person th from Dec 2000 (Median) to 12-01-2020, with 3 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 7,102.116 Person th in 12-01-2020 and a record low of 6,635.735 Person th in 12-01-2000. Population: Census: Shandong: Yantai data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Yantai Municipal Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s Socio-Demographic – Table CN.GE: Population: Prefecture Level City: By Census.