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

The region of present-day China has historically been the most populous region in the world; however, its population development has fluctuated throughout history. In 2022, China was overtaken as the most populous country in the world, and current projections suggest its population is heading for a rapid decline in the coming decades. Transitions of power lead to mortality The source suggests that conflict, and the diseases brought with it, were the major obstacles to population growth throughout most of the Common Era, particularly during transitions of power between various dynasties and rulers. It estimates that the total population fell by approximately 30 million people during the 14th century due to the impact of Mongol invasions, which inflicted heavy losses on the northern population through conflict, enslavement, food instability, and the introduction of bubonic plague. Between 1850 and 1870, the total population fell once more, by more than 50 million people, through further conflict, famine and disease; the most notable of these was the Taiping Rebellion, although the Miao an Panthay Rebellions, and the Dungan Revolt, also had large death tolls. The third plague pandemic also originated in Yunnan in 1855, which killed approximately two million people in China. 20th and 21st centuries There were additional conflicts at the turn of the 20th century, which had significant geopolitical consequences for China, but did not result in the same high levels of mortality seen previously. It was not until the overlapping Chinese Civil War (1927-1949) and Second World War (1937-1945) where the death tolls reached approximately 10 and 20 million respectively. Additionally, as China attempted to industrialize during the Great Leap Forward (1958-1962), economic and agricultural mismanagement resulted in the deaths of tens of millions (possibly as many as 55 million) in less than four years, during the Great Chinese Famine. This mortality is not observable on the given dataset, due to the rapidity of China's demographic transition over the entire period; this saw improvements in healthcare, sanitation, and infrastructure result in sweeping changes across the population. The early 2020s marked some significant milestones in China's demographics, where it was overtaken by India as the world's most populous country, and its population also went into decline. Current projections suggest that China is heading for a "demographic disaster", as its rapidly aging population is placing significant burdens on China's economy, government, and society. In stark contrast to the restrictive "one-child policy" of the past, the government has introduced a series of pro-fertility incentives for couples to have larger families, although the impact of these policies are yet to materialize. If these current projections come true, then China's population may be around half its current size by the end of the century.

Social pull-push factors mainly fall into six categories: food, traffic, education, technology, health and medical conditions and human living conditions. Indicators of total grain product (Million tons), number of health agencies (units), number of beds in health care agencies (1000 beds), length of railways (10000 km), length of highways (10000 km), length of navigable inland waterways (10000 km), number of regular primary schools (units), number of higher education institutions (units), number of patent applications (units), per capita annual income of urban households (yuan), per capita annual income of rural households (yuan), Engel's coefficient of urban households (-), Engel's coefficient of rural households(-).Time serial data from 1949 to 2013 of whole China and all the provinces are included. All of data were collected from the China Statistical Yearbook from 1981 to 2014 and China Compendium of Statistics from 1949 to 2008.These data are not intended for demarcation.

China Population: Natural Growth Rate data was reported at -0.060 % in 2022. This records a decrease from the previous number of 0.034 % for 2021. China Population: Natural Growth Rate data is updated yearly, averaging 1.203 % from Dec 1949 (Median) to 2022, with 74 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 3.333 % in 1963 and a record low of -0.457 % in 1960. China Population: Natural Growth 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: Natural Growth Rate: By Region.

Population: This dataset contains 65-years’ time serial data of whole China (unit: million persons), each provinces (unit: 10000 persons), and each county. The source data are originally collected from China Statistical Yearbook from 1949 to 2013. The county data covers 2000, 2006, 2007, and 2009. In addition, 4 years (1995, 2000, 2005, 2010) population distributions cover the whole land region in China are also included in this dataset. Such data is expressed as raster format with 1 km resolution and a projection of Albers. Attribute information mainly includes population density (unit: number of person per square kilometer). The source data are originally provided by Data Center for Resources and Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences (RESDC) (http://www.resdc.cn) and Data Sharing Infrastructure of Earth System Science (http://www.geodata.cn).These data are not intended for demarcation.

As of December 2024, around **** percent of the Chinese population were members of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The share of CCP members in the population has increased steadily over the years. The total number of memberships reached about ****** million in December 2024. The Communist Party in China The Chinese Communist Party is the sole governing party in China. It has been in power since the foundation of the People's Republic in 1949. The number of its members increased gradually from about *** million in 1949, representing roughly *** percent of the population, to **** million, or around *** percent of the population in 2020. Membership of the party is popular, but selection is strict and the application process can take up to several years, with no guarantee of success. As a party of the workers and peasants, people working as farmers, fishermen, and industrial laborers are still well represented among the ranks of party comrades, accounting for around ** percent of all members in 2024. The share of women among the ordinary members has been growing in recent years and reached around ** percent in 2024. Non-communist parties in China Besides the CCP, eight legal parties exist in China, which formally take part in the political process by building a “United Front” with the CCP. These parties must accept the leading role of the CCP and are not comparable to opposition parties in open democracies. Of these eight political parties, the China Democratic League, which was established in 1941, has the largest number of members, surpassing ******* in 2024. The youngest of the officially accepted parties was established in 1948, and several parties founded since were soon banned by the CCP.

CN: Population: Usual Residence: Urbanization Rate: Ningxia data was reported at 67.310 % in 2023. This records an increase from the previous number of 66.340 % for 2022. CN: Population: Usual Residence: Urbanization Rate: Ningxia data is updated yearly, averaging 21.480 % from Dec 1949 (Median) to 2023, with 75 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 67.310 % in 2023 and a record low of 7.090 % in 1949. CN: Population: Usual Residence: Urbanization Rate: Ningxia 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: Urbanization Rate.

The fertility rate of a country is the average number of children that women from that country will have throughout their reproductive years. In 1930, China's fertility rate was 5.5 children per woman, and this number then dropped to just under five over the next fifteen years, as China experienced a civil war and the Second World War. The fertility rate rose rather quickly after this to over 6.1 in 1955, before dropping again in the late 1950s, as Chairman Mao's 'Great Leap Forward' failed to industrialize the nation, and resulted in widespread famine that killed an estimated 45 million people. In the decade following this, China's fertility rate reached it's highest level in 1970, before the implementation of the two-child policy in the 1970s, and the one-child policy** in the 1980s, which radically changed the population structure. The fertility rate fell to an all time low in the early 2000s, where it was just 1.6 children per woman. However this number has increased to 1.7 today, and the two-child policy was reintroduced in 2016, replacing the one-child policy that had been effective for over 36 years.

Environment and Natural Resources Factors: This dataset contains raster data including climate, topography, vegetation, natural resources.These data are not intended for demarcation.

Metadata document for datasets included in this data collection.

CN: Population: Usual Residence: Urbanization Rate: Hubei data was reported at 66.350 % in 2024. This records an increase from the previous number of 65.470 % for 2023. CN: Population: Usual Residence: Urbanization Rate: Hubei data is updated yearly, averaging 26.810 % from Dec 1949 (Median) to 2024, with 71 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 66.350 % in 2024 and a record low of 8.790 % in 1949. CN: Population: Usual Residence: Urbanization Rate: Hubei 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: Urbanization Rate.

In 2020, the child and old-age dependency ratios in China ranged at around 25.9 and 18.2 percent respectively, summing up to a total dependency ratio of 44.1 percent. While the child dependency ratio is expected to drop slightly and then remain stable, the old-age dependency ratio will rise steadily in coming decades. Age demographics in China With a populace of 1.4 billion people by the end of 2023, China stands the country with the second largest population in the world. Since its foundation in 1949, the PRC has experienced high population growth. With the beginning of the reform period in the end of the 1970s, population growth decreased steadily. Finally, China's population size peaked in 2021 and entered a declining path. Falling birth rates in combination with higher life expectancy led to a continuously increasing median age of the population in China over the past five decades. The median age of the Chinese population is expected to rise further and to reach 50 years by the middle of the century. Development of the dependency ratio China has enjoyed a continuously growing work force since the late 1970s. Simultaneously, the total dependency ratio in China decreased from 80 percent in 1970 to about 37 percent in 2010. However, an important turning point was reached in 2011, as the total dependency ratio was set to increase again after 30 years of population bonus. As can be seen from the above graph, until 2100, child-dependency is estimated to remain steady around 15 to 20 percent. Old-age dependency on the other hand is expected to grow from about 12 percent in 2010 to 69 percent in 2060, implying a growing number of senior citizens that need support from the working population. The shift of age demographics in the near future in China is bound to have ineligible economical and social impacts. To learn more about age demographics in China, take a look at our dossier aging population in China.

CN: Population: Usual Residence: Urbanization Rate: Inner Mongolia data was reported at 70.700 % in 2024. This records an increase from the previous number of 69.580 % for 2023. CN: Population: Usual Residence: Urbanization Rate: Inner Mongolia data is updated yearly, averaging 42.500 % from Dec 1949 (Median) to 2024, with 59 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 70.700 % in 2024 and a record low of 12.370 % in 1949. CN: Population: Usual Residence: Urbanization Rate: Inner Mongolia 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: Urbanization Rate.

China Population: Birth Rate data was reported at 0.677 % in 2022. This records a decrease from the previous number of 0.752 % for 2021. China Population: Birth Rate data is updated yearly, averaging 1.979 % from Dec 1949 (Median) to 2022, with 74 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 4.337 % in 1963 and a record low of 0.677 % in 2022. China Population: Birth 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: Birth Rate: By Region.

China Population: Urbanization Rate: Household Registration data was reported at 48.300 % in 2023. This records an increase from the previous number of 47.700 % for 2022. China Population: Urbanization Rate: Household Registration data is updated yearly, averaging 19.176 % from Dec 1949 (Median) to 2023, with 30 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 48.300 % in 2023 and a record low of 10.643 % in 1949. China Population: Urbanization Rate: Household Registration 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: Urbanization Rate.

Population: Usual Residence: Urbanization Rate: Henan data was reported at 59.220 % in 2024. This records an increase from the previous number of 58.080 % for 2023. Population: Usual Residence: Urbanization Rate: Henan data is updated yearly, averaging 15.220 % from Dec 1949 (Median) to 2024, with 76 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 59.220 % in 2024 and a record low of 6.350 % in 1949. Population: Usual Residence: Urbanization Rate: Henan 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: Urbanization Rate.

China Population: Death Rate data was reported at 0.737 % in 2022. This records an increase from the previous number of 0.718 % for 2021. China Population: Death Rate data is updated yearly, averaging 0.708 % from Dec 1949 (Median) to 2022, with 74 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 2.543 % in 1960 and a record low of 0.621 % in 1979. China Population: Death 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: Death Rate: By Region.

China Number of Prefecture Level City data was reported at 297.000 Unit in 2020. This stayed constant from the previous number of 297.000 Unit for 2019. China Number of Prefecture Level City data is updated yearly, averaging 231.500 Unit from Dec 1949 (Median) to 2020, with 44 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 298.000 Unit in 2017 and a record low of 65.000 Unit in 1949. China Number of 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: No of Prefecture Level City by Population.

Population: Usual Residence: Urbanization Rate: Jilin data was reported at 65.760 % in 2024. This records an increase from the previous number of 64.730 % for 2023. Population: Usual Residence: Urbanization Rate: Jilin data is updated yearly, averaging 52.735 % from Dec 1949 (Median) to 2024, with 72 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 86.890 % in 2000 and a record low of 22.040 % in 1949. Population: Usual Residence: Urbanization Rate: Jilin 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: Urbanization Rate.

Population: Usual Residence: Urbanization Rate: Xinjiang data was reported at 59.240 % in 2023. This records an increase from the previous number of 57.890 % for 2022. Population: Usual Residence: Urbanization Rate: Xinjiang data is updated yearly, averaging 33.840 % from Dec 1949 (Median) to 2023, with 75 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 59.240 % in 2023 and a record low of 12.210 % in 1949. Population: Usual Residence: Urbanization Rate: Xinjiang 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: Urbanization Rate.