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.

According to latest figures, the Chinese population decreased by 1.39 million to around 1.408 billion people in 2024. After decades of rapid growth, China arrived at the turning point of its demographic development in 2022, which was earlier than expected. The annual population decrease is estimated to remain at moderate levels until around 2030 but to accelerate thereafter. Population development in China China had for a long time been the country with the largest population worldwide, but according to UN estimates, it has been overtaken by India in 2023. As the population in India is still growing, the country is very likely to remain being home of the largest population on earth in the near future. 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, displaying an annual population growth rate of -0.1 percent in 2024. Nevertheless, compared to the world population in total, China held a share of about 17 percent of the overall global population in 2024. China's aging population In terms of demographic developments, the birth control efforts of the Chinese government had considerable effects on the demographic pyramid in China. Upon closer examination of the age distribution, a clear trend of an aging population becomes visible. In order to curb the negative effects of an aging population, the Chinese government abolished the one-child policy in 2015, which had been in effect since 1979, and introduced a three-child policy in May 2021. However, many Chinese parents nowadays are reluctant to have a second or third child, as is the case in most of the developed countries in the world. The number of births in China varied in the years following the abolishment of the one-child policy, but did not increase considerably. Among the reasons most prominent for parents not having more children are the rising living costs and costs for child care, growing work pressure, a growing trend towards self-realization and individualism, and changing social behaviors.

According to the age distribution of China's population in 2024, approximately 68.6 percent of the population were in their working age between 15 and 64 years of age. Retirees aged 65 years and above made up about 15.6 percent of the total population. Age distribution in China As can be seen from this statistic, the age pyramid in China has been gradually shifting towards older demographics during the past decade. Mainly due to low birth rates in China, the age group of 0 to 14 year-olds has remained at around 16 to 17 percent since 2010, whereas the age groups 65 years and over have seen growth of nearly seven percentage points. Thus, the median age of the Chinese population has been constantly rising since 1970 and is forecast to reach 52 years by 2050. Accompanied by a slightly growing mortality rate of more than 7 per thousand, China is showing strong signs of an aging population. China's aging society The impact of this severe change in demographics is the subject of an ongoing scientific discussion. Rising standards of living in China contain the demand for better health care and pension insurance for retirees, which will be hard to meet with the social insurance system in China still being in its infancy. Per capita expenditure on medical care and services of urban households has grown more than ninefold since 2000 with a clear and distinctive upward trend for the near future. As for social security spending, public pension expenditure is forecast to take up approximately nine percent of China's GDP by 2050.

About this dataset

Context

The dataset tabulates the China 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. The dataset can be utilized to understand the population distribution of China by age. For example, using this dataset, we can identify the largest age group in China.

Key observations

The largest age group in China, TX was for the group of age 15 to 19 years years with a population of 102 (11.43%), according to the ACS 2019-2023 5-Year Estimates. At the same time, the smallest age group in China, TX was the 80 to 84 years years with a population of 11 (1.23%). Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2019-2023 5-Year Estimates

Content

When available, the data consists of estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2019-2023 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 is shown in this column.
• % of Total Population: This column displays the population of each age group as a proportion of China 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 Population by Age. You can refer the same here

Key information about China population

• The China population reached 1,408.3 million people in Dec 2024, compared with the previously reported figure of 1,409.7 million people in Dec 2023
• The data reached an all-time high of 1,412.6 million people in Dec 2021 and a record low of 541.7 million people in Dec 1949

• In the latest reports, China Unemployment Rate increased to 5.1 % in Sep 2024
• Monthly earnings of the China population was 1,392.5 USD in Dec 2023
• China Labour Force Participation Rate dropped to 66.4 % in Dec 2023

About this dataset

Context

The dataset tabulates the data for the China, TX population pyramid, which represents the China population distribution across age and gender, using estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2019-2023 5-Year Estimates. It lists the male and female population for each age group, along with the total population for those age groups. Higher numbers at the bottom of the table suggest population growth, whereas higher numbers at the top indicate declining birth rates. Furthermore, the dataset can be utilized to understand the youth dependency ratio, old-age dependency ratio, total dependency ratio, and potential support ratio.

Key observations

• Youth dependency ratio, which is the number of children aged 0-14 per 100 persons aged 15-64, for China, TX, is 25.5.
• Old-age dependency ratio, which is the number of persons aged 65 or over per 100 persons aged 15-64, for China, TX, is 39.1.
• Total dependency ratio for China, TX is 64.6.
• Potential support ratio, which is the number of youth (working age population) per elderly, for China, TX is 2.6.

Content

When available, the data consists of estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2019-2023 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 for the China population analysis. Total expected values are 18 and are define above in the age groups section.
• Population (Male): The male population in the China for the selected age group is shown in the following column.
• Population (Female): The female population in the China for the selected age group is shown in the following column.
• Total Population: The total population of the China for the selected age group is shown in the following column.

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 Population by Age. You can refer the same here

China Population: Age 20 to 24 data was reported at 73.696 Person th in 2023. This records an increase from the previous number of 73.629 Person th for 2022. China Population: Age 20 to 24 data is updated yearly, averaging 90.654 Person th from Dec 1982 (Median) to 2023, with 36 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 127,412.518 Person th in 2010 and a record low of 61.519 Person th in 2019. China Population: Age 20 to 24 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.

About this dataset

Context

The dataset tabulates the China population by age. The dataset can be utilized to understand the age distribution and demographics of China.

Content

The dataset constitues the following three datasets

• China, TX Age Group Population Dataset: A complete breakdown of China age demographics from 0 to 85 years, distributed across 18 age groups
• China, TX Age Cohorts Dataset: Children, Working Adults, and Seniors in China - Population and Percentage Analysis
• China, TX Population Pyramid Dataset: Age Groups, Male and Female Population, and Total Population for Demographics Analysis

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/.

In 2024, about 60.9 percent of the Chinese population was between 16 and 59 years old. Apart from the information given on broad age groups in this statistic, some more information is provided by a timeline for the age distribution and a population breakdown by smaller age groups. Demographic development in China China ranked as the second most populous country in the world with a population of nearly 1.41 billion as of mid 2024, surpassed only by India. As the world population reached more than eight billion in mid 2024, China represented almost one fifth of the global population. China's population increased exponentially between the 1950s and the early 1980s due to Mao Zedong's population policy. To tackle the problem of overpopulation, a one-child policy was implemented in 1979. Since then, China's population growth has slowed from more than two percent per annum in the 1970s to around 0.5 percent per annum in the 2000s, and finally turned negative in 2022. China's aging population One outcome of the strict population policy is the acceleration of demographic aging trends. According to the United Nations, China's population median age has more than doubled over the last five decades, from 18 years in 1970 to 37.5 years in 2020. Few countries have aged faster than China. The dramatic aging of the population is matched by slower growth. The total fertility rate, measuring the number of children a woman can expect to have in her life, stood at just around 1.2 children. This incremental decline in labor force could lead to future challenges for the Chinese government, causing instability in current health care and social insurance mechanisms. To learn more about demographic development of the rural and urban population in China, please take a look at our reports on population in China and aging population in China.

The total population in China was estimated at 1409.7 million people in 2023, according to the latest census figures and projections from Trading Economics. This dataset provides - China Population - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

About this dataset

Context

The dataset tabulates the data for the China, Maine population pyramid, which represents the China town population distribution across age and gender, using estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2019-2023 5-Year Estimates. It lists the male and female population for each age group, along with the total population for those age groups. Higher numbers at the bottom of the table suggest population growth, whereas higher numbers at the top indicate declining birth rates. Furthermore, the dataset can be utilized to understand the youth dependency ratio, old-age dependency ratio, total dependency ratio, and potential support ratio.

Key observations

• Youth dependency ratio, which is the number of children aged 0-14 per 100 persons aged 15-64, for China, Maine, is 26.6.
• Old-age dependency ratio, which is the number of persons aged 65 or over per 100 persons aged 15-64, for China, Maine, is 21.7.
• Total dependency ratio for China, Maine is 48.3.
• Potential support ratio, which is the number of youth (working age population) per elderly, for China, Maine is 4.6.

Content

When available, the data consists of estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 2019-2023 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 for the China town population analysis. Total expected values are 18 and are define above in the age groups section.
• Population (Male): The male population in the China town for the selected age group is shown in the following column.
• Population (Female): The female population in the China town for the selected age group is shown in the following column.
• Total Population: The total population of the China town for the selected age group is shown in the following column.

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

China Population Statistics: Sample Survey: Sampling Fraction data was reported at 0.105 % in 2023. This records an increase from the previous number of 0.102 % for 2022. China Population Statistics: Sample Survey: Sampling Fraction data is updated yearly, averaging 0.100 % from Dec 1982 (Median) to 2023, with 37 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 100.000 % in 2020 and a record low of 0.063 % in 1994. China Population Statistics: Sample Survey: Sampling Fraction 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.

China Population: Resided more than Half Year: Floating data was reported at 384,670.000 Person th in 2021. This records an increase from the previous number of 375,816.759 Person th for 2020. China Population: Resided more than Half Year: Floating data is updated yearly, averaging 239,015.000 Person th from Dec 1982 (Median) to 2021, with 16 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 384,670.000 Person th in 2021 and a record low of 6,709.164 Person th in 1982. China Population: Resided more than Half Year: Floating 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.

CN: Population Census: Urbanization Rate data was reported at 63.900 % in 12-01-2020. This records an increase from the previous number of 49.700 % for 12-01-2010. CN: Population Census: Urbanization Rate data is updated decadal, averaging 26.400 % from Dec 1953 (Median) to 12-01-2020, with 7 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 63.900 % in 12-01-2020 and a record low of 13.300 % in 12-01-1953. CN: Population Census: Urbanization Rate 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: National Population Census.

CN: Population Census: Population: Male data was reported at 723.340 Person mn in 12-01-2020. This records an increase from the previous number of 686.850 Person mn for 12-01-2010. CN: Population Census: Population: Male data is updated decadal, averaging 584.950 Person mn from Dec 1953 (Median) to 12-01-2020, with 7 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 723.340 Person mn in 12-01-2020 and a record low of 301.900 Person mn in 12-01-1953. CN: Population Census: Population: Male 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: National Population Census.

China Population: Age 45 to 49 data was reported at 102.401 Person th in 2023. This records a decrease from the previous number of 103.955 Person th for 2022. China Population: Age 45 to 49 data is updated yearly, averaging 96.875 Person th from Dec 1982 (Median) to 2023, with 36 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 114,224.887 Person th in 2020 and a record low of 37.083 Person th in 1994. China Population: 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.

CN: Population Census: Population Percentage Aged 15-64 to Total Population data was reported at 68.600 % in 12-01-2020. This records a decrease from the previous number of 74.500 % for 12-01-2010. CN: Population Census: Population Percentage Aged 15-64 to Total Population data is updated decadal, averaging 66.700 % from Dec 1953 (Median) to 12-01-2020, with 7 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 74.500 % in 12-01-2010 and a record low of 55.800 % in 12-01-1964. CN: Population Census: Population Percentage Aged 15-64 to Total Population 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: National Population Census.

Population growth (annual %) in China was reported at --0.12306 % in 2024, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. China - Population growth (annual %) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on July of 2025.

This is a hybrid gridded dataset of demographic data for China from 1979 to 2100, given as 21 five-year age groups of population divided by gender every year at a 0.5-degree grid resolution.

The historical period (1979-2020) part of this dataset combines the NASA SEDAC Gridded Population of the World version 4 (GPWv4, UN WPP-Adjusted Population Count) with gridded population from the Inter-Sectoral Impact Model Intercomparison Project (ISIMIP, Histsoc gridded population data).

The projection (2010-2100) part of this dataset is resampled directly from Chen et al.’s data published in Scientific Data.

This dataset includes 31 provincial administrative districts of China, including 22 provinces, 5 autonomous regions, and 4 municipalities directly under the control of the central government (Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macao were excluded due to missing data).

Method - demographic fractions by age and gender in 1979-2020

Age- and gender-specific demographic data by grid cell for each province in China are derived by combining historical demographic data in 1979-2020 with the national population census data provided by the National Statistics Bureau of China.

To combine the national population census data with the historical demographics, we constructed the provincial fractions of demographic in each age groups and each gender according to the fourth, fifth and sixth national population census, which cover the year of 1979-1990, 1991-2000 and 2001-2020, respectively. The provincial fractions can be computed as:

\(\begin{align*} \begin{split} f_{year,province,age,gender}= \left \{ \begin{array}{lr} POP_{1990,province,age,gender}^{4^{th}census}/POP_{1990,province}^{4^{th}census} & 1979\le\mathrm{year}\le1990\\ POP_{2000,province,age,gender}^{5^{th}census}/POP_{2000,province}^{5^{th}census} & 1991\le\mathrm{year}\le2000\\ POP_{2010,province,age,gender}^{6^{th}census}/POP_{2010,province}^{6^{th}census}, & 2001\le\mathrm{year}\le2020 \end{array} \right. \end{split} \end{align*}\)

Where:

- \( f_{\mathrm{year,province,age,gender}}\)is the fraction of population for a given age, a given gender in each province from the national census from 1979-2020.

- \(\mathrm{PO}\mathrm{P}_{\mathrm{year,province,age,gender}}^{X^{\mathrm{th}}\mathrm{census} }\) is the total population for a given age, a given gender in each province from the X^th national census.

- \(\mathrm{PO}\mathrm{P}_{\mathrm{year,province}}^{X^{\mathrm{th}}\mathrm{census} }\) is the total population for all ages and both genders in each province from the X^th national census.

Method - demographic totals by age and gender in 1979-2020

The yearly grid population for 1979-1999 are from ISIMIP Histsoc gridded population data, and for 2000-2020 are from the GPWv4 demographic data adjusted by the UN WPP (UN WPP-Adjusted Population Count, v4.11, https://beta.sedac.ciesin.columbia.edu/data/set/gpw-v4-population-count-adjusted-to-2015-unwpp-country-totals-rev11), which combines the spatial distribution of demographics from GPWv4 with the temporal trends from the UN WPP to improve accuracy. These two gridded time series are simply joined at the cut-over date to give a single dataset - historical demographic data covering 1979-2020.

Next, historical demographic data are mapped onto the grid scale to obtain provincial data by using gridded provincial code lookup data and name lookup table. The age- and gender-specific fraction were multiplied by the historical demographic data at the provincial level to obtain the total population by age and gender for per grid cell for china in 1979-2020.

Method - demographic totals and fractions by age and gender in 2010-2100

The grid population count data in 2010-2100 under different shared socioeconomic pathway (SSP) scenarios are drawn from Chen et al. published in Scientific Data with a resolution of 1km (~ 0.008333 degree). We resampled the data to 0.5 degree by aggregating the population count together to obtain the future population data per cell.

This previously published dataset also provided age- and gender-specific population of each provinces, so we calculated the fraction of each age and gender group at provincial level. Then, we multiply the fractions with grid population count to get the total population per age group per cell for each gender.

Note that the projected population data from Chen’s dataset covers 2010-2020, while the historical population in our dataset also covers 2010-2020. The two datasets of that same period may vary because the original population data come from different sources and are calculated based on different methods.

Disclaimer

This dataset is a hybrid of different datasets with independent methodologies. Spatial or temporal consistency across dataset boundaries cannot be guaranteed.

CN: Population Census: Population: Illiterate data was reported at 37.750 Person mn in 12-01-2020. This records a decrease from the previous number of 54.660 Person mn for 12-01-2010. CN: Population Census: Population: Illiterate data is updated decadal, averaging 132.550 Person mn from Dec 1964 (Median) to 12-01-2020, with 6 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 233.270 Person mn in 12-01-1964 and a record low of 37.750 Person mn in 12-01-2020. CN: Population Census: Population: Illiterate 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: National Population Census.