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.

Rural population (% of total population) in China was reported at 34.46 % in 2024, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. China - Rural population - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on July of 2025.

In 2023, the ratio of urban to rural population varied greatly in different provinces of China. While Guangdong province had an urban population of around 95.8 million and a rural population of 31.2 million, Tibet had an urban population of only 1.4 million, but a rural population of around 2.2 million.

This statistic shows the share of rural population in China from 2013 to 2023. Since 2013, less than half of China's population is living in rural areas. In 2023, the share of rural population decreased to ***** percent of the entire population.

China: Rural population, percent of total population: The latest value from 2023 is 35.43 percent, a decline from 36.44 percent in 2022. In comparison, the world average is 38.64 percent, based on data from 196 countries. Historically, the average for China from 1960 to 2023 is 67.18 percent. The minimum value, 35.43 percent, was reached in 2023 while the maximum of 83.8 percent was recorded in 1960.

Rural population growth (annual %) in China was reported at --2.9106 % in 2024, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. China - Rural population growth (annual %) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on July of 2025.

People practicing open defecation, rural (% of rural population) in China was reported at 0 % in 2022, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. China - People practicing open defecation, rural (% of rural population) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on August of 2025.

Rural population in China was reported at 485476426 in 2024, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. China - Rural population - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on August of 2025.

Historical dataset showing China rural population by year from 1960 to 2023.

In 2024, the average annual per capita disposable income of rural households in China was approximately ****** yuan, roughly ** percent of the income of urban households. Although living standards in China’s rural areas have improved significantly over the past 20 years, the income gap between rural and urban households is still large. Income increase of China’s households From 2000 to 2020, disposable income per capita in China increased by around *** percent. The fast-growing economy has inevitably led to the rapid income increase. Furthermore, inflation has been maintained at a lower rate in recent years compared to other countries. While the number of millionaires in China has increased, many of its population are still living in humble conditions. Consequently, the significant wealth gap between China’s rich and poor has become a social problem across the country. However, in recent years rural areas have been catching up and disposable income has been growing faster than in the cities. This development is also reflected in the Gini coefficient for China, which has decreased since 2008. Urbanization in China The urban population in China surpassed its rural population for the first time in 2011. In fact, the share of the population residing in urban areas is continuing to increase. This is not surprising considering remote, rural areas are among the poorest areas in China. Currently, poverty alleviation has been prioritized by the Chinese government. The measures that the government has taken are related to relocation and job placement. With the transformation and expansion of cities to accommodate the influx of city dwellers, neighboring rural areas are required for the development of infrastructure. Accordingly, land acquisition by the government has resulted in monetary gain by some rural households.

China Population: Rural Poverty data was reported at 16.600 Person mn in 2018. This records a decrease from the previous number of 30.460 Person mn for 2017. China Population: Rural Poverty data is updated yearly, averaging 144.025 Person mn from Dec 1978 (Median) to 2018, with 16 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 770.390 Person mn in 1978 and a record low of 16.600 Person mn in 2018. China Population: Rural Poverty 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. The current rural poverty standard is annual income RMB2300 (2010's constant price) per person each year. 现行农村贫困标准为每人每年收入2300元(2010年不变价)。

Hong Kong HK: Rural Population: % of Total Population data was reported at 0.000 % in 2017. This stayed constant from the previous number of 0.000 % for 2016. Hong Kong HK: Rural Population: % of Total Population data is updated yearly, averaging 1.298 % from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 14.800 % in 1960 and a record low of 0.000 % in 2017. Hong Kong HK: Rural Population: % of Total Population data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Hong Kong SAR – Table HK.World Bank.WDI: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Rural population refers to people living in rural areas as defined by national statistical offices. It is calculated as the difference between total population and urban population.; ; World Bank staff estimates based on the United Nations Population Division's World Urbanization Prospects: 2018 Revision.; Weighted average;

Access to electricity, rural (% of rural population) in China was reported at 100 % in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. China - Access to electricity, rural (% of rural population) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on July of 2025.

This dataset is about countries per year in China. It has 64 rows. It features 3 columns: country, and rural population.

This horizontal bar chart displays rural population (people) by countries yearly using the aggregation sum in China. The data is filtered where the date is 2021. The data is about countries per year.

This line chart displays rural population (people) by date using the aggregation sum in China. The data is about countries per year.

Hong Kong HK: Rural Population data was reported at 0.000 Person in 2017. This stayed constant from the previous number of 0.000 Person for 2016. Hong Kong HK: Rural Population data is updated yearly, averaging 73,340.000 Person from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 488,523.000 Person in 1965 and a record low of 0.000 Person in 2017. Hong Kong HK: Rural Population 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. Rural population refers to people living in rural areas as defined by national statistical offices. It is calculated as the difference between total population and urban population. Aggregation of urban and rural population may not add up to total population because of different country coverages.; ; World Bank staff estimates based on the United Nations Population Division's World Urbanization Prospects: 2018 Revision.; Sum;

Population: County: Age 65 and Above: Hainan data was reported at 0.550 Person th in 2023. This records an increase from the previous number of 0.527 Person th for 2022. Population: County: Age 65 and Above: Hainan data is updated yearly, averaging 0.382 Person th from Dec 1997 (Median) to 2023, with 27 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 499.994 Person th in 2020 and a record low of 0.272 Person th in 2017. Population: County: Age 65 and Above: Hainan 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: Rural.

Macau MO: Rural Population: % of Total Population data was reported at 0.000 % in 2017. This stayed constant from the previous number of 0.000 % for 2016. Macau MO: Rural Population: % of Total Population data is updated yearly, averaging 0.319 % from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 4.711 % in 1960 and a record low of 0.000 % in 2017. Macau MO: Rural Population: % of Total Population data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Macau SAR – Table MO.World Bank.WDI: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Rural population refers to people living in rural areas as defined by national statistical offices. It is calculated as the difference between total population and urban population.; ; World Bank staff estimates based on the United Nations Population Division's World Urbanization Prospects: 2018 Revision.; Weighted average;

In 2024, around *** million people were employed in urban areas of China, while around *** million were employed in rural areas. The number of urban employees has increased considerably over the last decades. However, the growth of the urban workforce is slowing down as the total number of employees in China has already been decreasing since 2014.