In 2025, about 953.8 million people lived in urban regions in China and 451.1 million in rural. That year, the country had a total population of approximately 1.405 billion people. As of 2025, 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 2024. 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.

Urban population (% of total population) in China was reported at 65.54 % in 2024, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. China - Urban population (% of total) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on March of 2026.

The share of urban population in China amounted to 65.89 percent in 2024. Between 1960 and 2024, the share rose by 46.14 percentage points, though the increase followed an uneven trajectory rather than a consistent upward trend.

In 2025, approximately 67.9 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 36.4 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.

Urban population growth (annual %) in China was reported at 1.3741 % in 2024, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. China - Urban population growth (annual %) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on March of 2026.

In 2024, the ratio of urban to rural population varied greatly in different provinces of China. While Guangdong province had an urban population of around 97 million and a rural population of 30.8 million, Tibet had an urban population of only 1.5 million, but a rural population of around 2.2 million.

Content

The current population of China is 1,448,978,293 as of Wednesday, March 30, 2022, based on Worldometer elaboration of the latest United Nations data. This three datasets contain population data of China (2020 and historical), population forecast and population in major cities.

Attribute Information

• Year - Years from 2020-1955
• Population - Population in the respective year
• Yearly % Change - Percentage Yearly Change in Population
• Yearly Change - Yearly Change in Population
• Migrants (net) - Total number of migrants
• Median Age - Median age of the population
• Fertility Rate - Fertility rate
• Density (P/Km²)- Population density (population per square km)
• Urban Pop %- Percentage of urban population
• Urban Population- Urban population
• Country's Share of World Pop - Population share
• World Population - World Population in the respective year
• China Global Rank - Global Rank in Population

Source

Link : https://www.worldometers.info/world-population/china-population/

Updated Covid 19 and Other Datasets

Link : https://www.kaggle.com/anandhuh/datasets

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

China: Percent urban population: The latest value from 2024 is 65.54 percent, an increase from 64.57 percent in 2023. In comparison, the world average is 61.70 percent, based on data from 196 countries. Historically, the average for China from 1960 to 2024 is 33.32 percent. The minimum value, 16.2 percent, was reached in 1960 while the maximum of 65.54 percent was recorded in 2024.

Urban population in China was reported at 923498574 in 2024, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. China - Urban population - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on March of 2026.

Context

Some friends at kaggle said them would like to see more dataset about China. I'm just uncertain what kind of data do you want. So I simply collect a population dataset as a beginning. I'm very glad that our international friends can know more about the real China, my great motherland from these datasets.

Content

注：1981年及以前人口数据为户籍统计数；1982、1990、2000、2010、2020年数据为当年人口普查数据推算数；其余年份数据为年度人口抽样调查推算数据。总人口和按性别分人口中包括现役军人，按城乡分人口中现役军人计入城镇人口。 数据来源：国家统计局

Note: Population data in 1981 and before are household registration statistics; The data of 1982, 1990, 2000, 2010 and 2020 are calculated from the census data of the same year. Data for the remaining years were derived from annual population sampling surveys. Active servicemen are included in the total population and population by sex, and active servicemen are included in the urban population by urban and rural population. Source: National Bureau of Statistics.

Tips: what you should notice is that all the numbers with the counting unit (10 thousand) or we said in Chinese ‘万’, as a very usual counting unit rather than 'thousand' in English.

Inspiration

By this dataset, you can see the progress of China's urbanization.

Hong Kong HK: Urban Population: % of Total Population data was reported at 100.000 % in 2017. This stayed constant from the previous number of 100.000 % for 2016. Hong Kong HK: Urban Population: % of Total Population data is updated yearly, averaging 98.701 % from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 100.000 % in 2017 and a record low of 85.200 % in 1960. Hong Kong HK: Urban 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. Urban population refers to people living in urban areas as defined by national statistical offices. The data are collected and smoothed by United Nations Population Division.; ; United Nations Population Division. World Urbanization Prospects: 2018 Revision.; Weighted average;

Hong Kong HK: Urban Population data was reported at 7,391,700.000 Person in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 7,336,600.000 Person for 2016. Hong Kong HK: Urban Population data is updated yearly, averaging 5,583,560.000 Person from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 7,391,700.000 Person in 2017 and a record low of 2,620,415.000 Person in 1960. Hong Kong HK: Urban 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. Urban population refers to people living in urban areas as defined by national statistical offices. It is calculated using World Bank population estimates and urban ratios from the United Nations World Urbanization Prospects. 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;

In 2024, the urbanization rate in different provinces of China varied between 89.9 percent in Shanghai municipality and 39.7 percent in Tibet. The national average urbanization rate reached around 67 percent in 2024. Urbanization and economic development During China’s rapid economic development, the share of people living in cities increased from only 19.4 percent in 1980 to nearly 64 percent in 2020. Urbanization rates are now coming closer to those in developed countries. However, the degree of urbanization still varies significantly between different regions in China. This correlates generally with the level of economic development across different regions in China. In eastern Chinese regions with high personal income levels and high per capita GDP, more inhabitants are living in cities than in the countryside. Influence of geography Another reason for different urbanization rates lies in the huge geographic differences of regions in China. Basically, those regions with a low population density often also display lower urbanization rates, because their inhabitants live more scattered across the land area. These differences will most probably remain despite further economic progress.

Population: Household Registration: Urbanization Rate: Heilongjiang: Harbin data was reported at 56.260 % in 2022. This records an increase from the previous number of 55.800 % for 2021. Population: Household Registration: Urbanization Rate: Heilongjiang: Harbin data is updated yearly, averaging 48.300 % from Dec 2000 (Median) to 2022, with 23 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 56.260 % in 2022 and a record low of 46.800 % in 2001. Population: Household Registration: Urbanization Rate: Heilongjiang: Harbin data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Harbin Municipal Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s Socio-Demographic – Table CN.GE: Population: Prefecture Level City: Urbanization Rate. Since 2015,the donotation of Non-agriculture Population has been adjusted to Urban Population.

HK: Urban Population Growth data was reported at 0.748 % in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 0.619 % for 2016. HK: Urban Population Growth data is updated yearly, averaging 1.784 % from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 5.844 % in 1979 and a record low of -0.197 % in 2003. HK: Urban Population Growth 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. Urban population refers to people living in urban areas as defined by national statistical offices. It is calculated using World Bank population estimates and urban ratios from the United Nations World Urbanization Prospects.; ; World Bank staff estimates based on the United Nations Population Division's World Urbanization Prospects: 2018 Revision.; Weighted average;

Hong Kong HK: Population in Largest City: as % of Urban Population data was reported at 99.637 % in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 99.540 % for 2016. Hong Kong HK: Population in Largest City: as % of Urban Population data is updated yearly, averaging 99.382 % from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2017, with 58 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 100.000 % in 2010 and a record low of 94.548 % in 1974. Hong Kong HK: Population in Largest City: as % of Urban 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. Population in largest city is the percentage of a country's urban population living in that country's largest metropolitan area.; ; United Nations, World Urbanization Prospects.; Weighted average;

Population in the largest city (% of urban population) in China was reported at 3.2342 % in 2024, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. China - Population in the largest city - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on March of 2026.

China Population: Urbanization Rate: Usual Residence data was reported at 67.890 % in 2025. This records an increase from the previous number of 67.000 % for 2024. China Population: Urbanization Rate: Usual Residence data is updated yearly, averaging 40.530 % from Dec 1982 (Median) to 2025, with 44 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 67.890 % in 2025 and a record low of 21.131 % in 1982. China Population: Urbanization Rate: Usual Residence 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.

Forecast: Share of Urban Population Using at Least Basic Drinking Water Services in China 2023 - 2027 Discover more data with ReportLinker!