Chart and table of population level and growth rate for the Beijing, China metro area from 1950 to 2025.

In 2024, around 21.83 million permanent residents were living in the administrative area of Beijing municipality. Back in 2017, the Beijing municipal government had announced plans to limit Beijing's population to 23 million by 2020 in order to mitigate the contradiction between rapid population growth and resource and environment restrictions.

Population: Beijing data was reported at 23.018 Person th in 2023. This records an increase from the previous number of 22.372 Person th for 2022. Population: Beijing data is updated yearly, averaging 17.454 Person th from Dec 1982 (Median) to 2023, with 29 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 21,893.095 Person th in 2020 and a record low of 12.245 Person th in 1999. Population: 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 Region.

As of 2023, about 10.1 percent of the population in Beijing was between 30 and 34 years of age, whereas only 1.6 percent were aged 85 and above. Beijing is the capital city of China and after Shanghai, the second largest city in the country. Beijing’s age distribution A broad age distribution of Beijing’s inhabitants reveals that a comparatively large share of the total population is of working age, while few children live in the city. This gap becomes even more obvious when looking at the age distribution by five-year groups: While the age cohorts between 25 and 39 accounts for 28 percent of the population, the age group between 0 and 19 accounts for only 14.6 percent. Two main reasons are responsible for this gap: On the one hand, many young people in their early working years move to the city and search for job opportunities; on the other hand, the motivation for having children in the city is low, mostly due to economic reasons. Many migrant workers from outside the city even leave their children behind when searching for better jobs in the city. Not only is the national average age distribution more balanced in this regard, but also that of many other larger cities. Prospects for the future In recent years, Beijing’s municipal government was determined to limit population inflow into the city. At the same time, former national measures of birth control were gradually relaxed and restrictions for migrants to take their children with them were partially lifted, which already had a positive effect on the number of children in the youngest age cohorts. However, given the very high costs of living in Beijing and its low attractiveness to family-oriented people, it is very likely that the average age of the population will increase quickly, leading to all the challenges and opportunities of a rapidly aging society.

Total current population for China in 2025 is 1,424,381,924, a 0.06% decline from 2024.

<ul style='margin-top:20px;'>

<li>Total population for China in 2024 was <strong>1,425,178,782</strong>, a <strong>1.03% increase</strong> from 2023.</li>
<li>Total population for China in 2023 was <strong>1,410,710,000</strong>, a <strong>0.1% decline</strong> from 2022.</li>
<li>Total population for China in 2022 was <strong>1,412,175,000</strong>, a <strong>0.01% decline</strong> from 2021.</li>
</ul>Total population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship. The values shown are midyear estimates.

In 2023, Chaoyang district had the largest number of permanent residents among all districts of Beijing municipality, numbering around .344 million. The total number of inhabitants in the administrative area of Beijing municipality amounted to 21.86 million in 2023.

Population: Age 15 to 64: Beijing data was reported at 15.764 Person th in 2023. This records a decrease from the previous number of 16.290 Person th for 2022. Population: Age 15 to 64: Beijing data is updated yearly, averaging 14.031 Person th from Dec 1982 (Median) to 2023, with 29 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 16,389.528 Person th in 2020 and a record low of 9.156 Person th in 1999. Population: Age 15 to 64: 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.

Population: Number of Household: Beijing data was reported at 9.158 Unit th in 2023. This records an increase from the previous number of 9.019 Unit th for 2022. Population: Number of Household: Beijing data is updated yearly, averaging 6.781 Unit th from Dec 1982 (Median) to 2023, with 36 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 9,137.928 Unit th in 2020 and a record low of 3.936 Unit th in 1999. Population: Number of Household: 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: No of Household.

Beijing is the capital city of the most populous country in the world. In 2010, the resident population living in the urban areas of Beijing amounted to about 16.44 million inhabitants and was forecasted to grow up to almost 22.6 million by 2024. The population of the administrative area of Beijing municipality, including the outskirts of the city, reached 21.8 million in 2024. Population development of China As the political and cultural center of China, Beijing has proven its attractiveness to Chinese as well as foreigners as a place to work and live. Furthering its appeal, Beijing is home to some of the best education and medical resources in China. Due to China’s Hukou system, permanent residents who are registered in Beijing can enjoy social benefits that are different from those in other regions. Beijing is also one of the key destinations for migrant workers in China. These migrant workers have contributed significantly to the rapid development of this giant city over the past years. Pressure from increasing population Beijing is faced with pressure from its increasing population. Despite poor air quality, increasing traffic congestion, crowded subway trains, and unaffordable housing prices, Beijing is still perceived as a place for many young people to pursue their dreams. The government is spending more on infrastructure construction to increase the city’s capacity and to improve the connection of suburban areas to the downtown. The Daxing International Airport, which was put into operation in 2019, will alleviate the pressure on the current Beijing Capital International Airport and hopefully improve the economic development of the southern part of Beijing.

Population: Birth Rate: Beijing data was reported at 0.609 % in 2024. This records an increase from the previous number of 0.563 % for 2023. Population: Birth Rate: Beijing data is updated yearly, averaging 0.792 % from Dec 1990 (Median) to 2024, with 35 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 1.301 % in 1990 and a record low of 0.510 % in 2003. Population: Birth Rate: 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: Birth Rate: By Region.

In 2024, the natural growth rate of the resident population in Beijing municipality in China amounted to 0.01 people per 1,000 inhabitants. This means that the number of births per 1,000 inhabitants of Beijing's total resident population exceeded the number of deaths by that number.

Population: Beijing: Shijingshan data was reported at 564.000 Person th in 2023. This records an increase from the previous number of 563.000 Person th for 2022. Population: Beijing: Shijingshan data is updated yearly, averaging 580.000 Person th from Dec 2006 (Median) to 2023, with 18 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 652.000 Person th in 2015 and a record low of 352.000 Person th in 2006. Population: Beijing: Shijingshan data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Beijing Municipal Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s Socio-Demographic – Table CN.GW: Population: Municipality District.

In 2023, the district of the Beijing municipality with the highest resident population density was Xicheng district, with an average of 21,749 people living on one square kilometer. The average density of the population of the Beijing municipality in total was 1,332 people per square kilometer in 2023.

Population: Beijing: Shunyi data was reported at 1,325.000 Person th in 2022. This records a decrease from the previous number of 1,326.000 Person th for 2021. Population: Beijing: Shunyi data is updated yearly, averaging 1,004.000 Person th from Dec 2006 (Median) to 2022, with 17 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 1,326.000 Person th in 2021 and a record low of 562.000 Person th in 2006. Population: Beijing: Shunyi data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Beijing Municipal Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s Socio-Demographic – Table CN.GW: Population: Municipality District.

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 2024, there were around 719 million male inhabitants and 689 million female inhabitants living in China, amounting to around 1.41 billion people in total. China's total population decreased for the first time in decades in 2022, and population decline is expected to accelerate in the upcoming years. Birth control in China From the beginning of the 1970s on, having many children was no longer encouraged in mainland China. The one-child policy was then introduced in 1979 to control the total size of the Chinese population. According to the one-child policy, a married couple was only allowed to have one child. With the time, modifications were added to the policy, for example parents living in rural areas were allowed to have a second child if the first was a daughter, and most ethnic minorities were excepted from the policy. Population ageing The birth control led to a decreasing birth rate in China and a more skewed gender ratio of new births due to boy preference. Since the negative economic and social effects of an aging population were more and more felt in China, the one-child policy was considered 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. However, many young Chinese people are not willing to have more children due to high costs of raising a child, especially in urban areas.

Population: Death Rate: Beijing data was reported at 0.608 % in 2024. This records a decrease from the previous number of 0.613 % for 2023. Population: Death Rate: Beijing data is updated yearly, averaging 0.530 % from Dec 1990 (Median) to 2024, with 35 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 0.616 % in 1993 and a record low of 0.426 % in 2011. Population: Death Rate: 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: Death Rate: By Region.

Population: Beijing: Changping data was reported at 2,267.000 Person th in 2022. This records a decrease from the previous number of 2,270.000 Person th for 2021. Population: Beijing: Changping data is updated yearly, averaging 1,908.000 Person th from Dec 2006 (Median) to 2022, with 17 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 2,270.000 Person th in 2021 and a record low of 492.000 Person th in 2006. Population: Beijing: Changping data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Beijing Municipal Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s Socio-Demographic – Table CN.GW: Population: Municipality District.

In 2023, the total number of employees officially recorded in Beijing municipality in China amounted to approximately 10.28 million people. As the local government in Beijing in 2017 announced plans to limit the population in the city to 23 million until 2035, employment numbers will most probably not continue the relatively high growth trend from years before 2017.

Population: Beijing: Tongzhou data was reported at 1,845.000 Person th in 2023. This records an increase from the previous number of 1,843.000 Person th for 2022. Population: Beijing: Tongzhou data is updated yearly, averaging 1,367.000 Person th from Dec 2006 (Median) to 2023, with 18 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 1,845.000 Person th in 2023 and a record low of 637.000 Person th in 2006. Population: Beijing: Tongzhou data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Beijing Municipal Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s Socio-Demographic – Table CN.GW: Population: Municipality District.