In 2024, approximately 67 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 36.3 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.

In 2023, the urbanization rate in different provinces of China varied between 89.5 percent in Shanghai municipality and 38.9 percent in Tibet. The national average urbanization rate reached around 66.2 percent in 2023. 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.

China urban population for 2023 was 910,895,447, a 1.48% increase from 2022.

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

<li>China urban population for 2022 was <strong>897,578,430</strong>, a <strong>1.66% increase</strong> from 2021.</li>
<li>China urban population for 2021 was <strong>882,894,483</strong>, a <strong>1.86% increase</strong> from 2020.</li>
<li>China urban population for 2020 was <strong>866,810,508</strong>, a <strong>2.1% increase</strong> from 2019.</li>
</ul>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.

In 2023, the share of urban population in China increased by one percentage points (+1.57 percent) compared to 2022. While the growth is slowing down, with 64.57 percent, the share is at its peak in the observed period. Notably, the share continuously increased over the last years.The urban population refers to the share of the total population living in urban centers. Each country has their own definition of what constitutes an urban center (based on population size, area, or space between dwellings, among others), therefore international comparisons may be inconsistent.Find more key insights for the share of urban population in countries like South Korea and Mongolia.

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.

CN: Population: Usual Residence: Urbanization Rate: Shandong data was reported at 66.480 % in 2024. This records an increase from the previous number of 65.530 % for 2023. CN: Population: Usual Residence: Urbanization Rate: Shandong data is updated yearly, averaging 13.160 % from Dec 1949 (Median) to 2024, with 76 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 66.480 % in 2024 and a record low of 5.630 % in 1950. CN: Population: Usual Residence: Urbanization Rate: Shandong 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.

Until 2007, the share of the global population living in urban areas was always smaller than the rural population, but in 2021, the world's level of urbanization has risen to around 56 percent, and by 2050, it is estimated that two thirds of the world will live in urban areas. Urbanization on such a large scale is a relatively new phenomenon, and has a strong correlation with the industrial maturity of a society. For most of pre-industrial times, fewer than five percent of the total population lived in urban centers, which were generally trading and administrative centers. The main reason for this was the agricultural demands of the time, where subsistence farming was the primary method of food production for the general population. Compared to Japan and China, a larger share of Western Europe lived in urban centers in the 16th century, due to higher levels of trade along the Mediterranean and between northern states, but around 94 percent of the population still lived in a rural setting. Effect of industrialization With the onset of the first industrial revolution in the 19th century, the mechanization of agriculture and development of manufacturing industries saw a shift in labor demands in Western Europe. People began migrating to cities on a large scale, and migration to the U.S. also increased due to industrialization in the northeastern states. Urban populations then became more prosperous, although mortality rates were initially higher due to the more rapid spread of disease and poor sanitation infrastructure. This mortality also disproportionately affected children and more recent arrivals. Global trends Waves of industrialization in Europe saw further urbanization throughout the 1800s, and roughly a third of the population had urbanized by the end of the 19th century. Globally, it would take until the 1960s before one third of the population had urbanized, and it was not until the late 1990s where China's urbanization rate had reached this level. However, China's urbanization rate has grown rapidly since the 1980s, and is now around 80 percent of the EU's level, whereas it was closer to 50 percent just two decades previously. Japan's urbanization rate was comparable to Europe's for most of the 20th century, but increased further throughout the 2010s; today it has one of the highest rates among more developed nations, although this has presented some challenges for Japanese society.

CN: Population: Usual Residence: Urbanization Rate: Jiangxi data was reported at 63.770 % in 2024. This records an increase from the previous number of 63.130 % for 2023. CN: Population: Usual Residence: Urbanization Rate: Jiangxi data is updated yearly, averaging 30.410 % from Dec 1978 (Median) to 2024, with 47 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 63.770 % in 2024 and a record low of 16.750 % in 1978. CN: Population: Usual Residence: Urbanization Rate: Jiangxi 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 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.

China population growth rate for 2023 was -0.10%, a 0.09% decline from 2022.

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

<li>China population growth rate for 2022 was <strong>-0.01%</strong>, a <strong>0.1% decline</strong> from 2021.</li>
<li>China population growth rate for 2021 was <strong>0.09%</strong>, a <strong>0.15% decline</strong> from 2020.</li>
<li>China population growth rate for 2020 was <strong>0.24%</strong>, a <strong>0.12% decline</strong> from 2019.</li>
</ul>Annual population growth rate for year t is the exponential rate of growth of midyear population from year t-1 to t, expressed as a percentage . Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship.

CN: Population: Usual Residence: Urbanization Rate: Liaoning data was reported at 73.510 % in 2023. This records an increase from the previous number of 73.000 % for 2022. CN: Population: Usual Residence: Urbanization Rate: Liaoning data is updated yearly, averaging 41.090 % from Dec 1949 (Median) to 2023, with 75 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 73.510 % in 2023 and a record low of 18.080 % in 1949. CN: Population: Usual Residence: Urbanization Rate: Liaoning 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.

Urban population (% of total population) in China was reported at 64.57 % in 2023, 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 June of 2025.

CN: Population: Usual Residence: Urbanization Rate: Qinghai data was reported at 63.900 % in 2024. This records an increase from the previous number of 62.800 % for 2023. CN: Population: Usual Residence: Urbanization Rate: Qinghai data is updated yearly, averaging 33.840 % from Dec 1952 (Median) to 2024, with 73 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 63.900 % in 2024 and a record low of 5.190 % in 1952. CN: Population: Usual Residence: Urbanization Rate: Qinghai 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 urbanization rate of Beijing municipality has increased from 57.6 percent in 1980 to 88.2 percent in 2024. The administrative area of Beijing includes several rural districts and suburbs surrounding the central metropolis.

CN: Population: Usual Residence: Urbanization Rate: Hunan data was reported at 62.070 % in 2024. This records an increase from the previous number of 61.160 % for 2023. CN: Population: Usual Residence: Urbanization Rate: Hunan data is updated yearly, averaging 17.115 % from Dec 1949 (Median) to 2024, with 76 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 62.070 % in 2024 and a record low of 7.780 % in 1953. CN: Population: Usual Residence: Urbanization Rate: Hunan 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.

CN: Population: Usual Residence: Urbanization Rate: Yunnan data was reported at 52.920 % in 2023. This records an increase from the previous number of 51.720 % for 2022. CN: Population: Usual Residence: Urbanization Rate: Yunnan data is updated yearly, averaging 24.860 % from Dec 1949 (Median) to 2023, with 75 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 52.920 % in 2023 and a record low of 4.850 % in 1953. CN: Population: Usual Residence: Urbanization Rate: Yunnan 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.

By the end of 2022, approximately 57.1 percent of the total population of Henan province in China were living in urban areas. Henan is one of the most populous provinces in China. It is located in China's middle region, next to Hebei, Shanxi, Shaanxi, Anhui and Hubei.

The urbanization rate of Guangdong province has increased from around 17.9 percent in 1982 to 75.9 percent in 2024. Guangdong has one of the highest urbanization rates in China, which is related to its advanced economic development.

The graph shows the population growth in China from 2000 to 2024. In 2024, the Chinese population decreased by about 0.1 percent or 1.39 million to around 1.408 billion people. Declining population growth in China Due to strict birth control measures by the Chinese government as well as changing family and work situations of the Chinese people, population growth has subsided over the past decades. Although the gradual abolition of the one-child policy from 2014 on led to temporarily higher birth figures, growth rates further decreased in recent years. As of 2024, leading countries in population growth could almost exclusively be found on the African continent and the Arabian Peninsula. Nevertheless, as of mid 2024, Asia ranked first by a wide margin among the continents in terms of absolute population. Future development of Chinese population The Chinese population reached a maximum of 1,412.6 million people in 2021 but decreased by 850,000 in 2022 and another 2.08 million in 2023. Until 2022, China had still ranked the world’s most populous country, but it was overtaken by India in 2023. Apart from the population decrease, a clear growth trend in Chinese cities is visible. By 2024, around 67 percent of Chinese people lived in urban areas, compared to merely 36 percent in 2000.

In 2023, the natural growth rate of the population across China varied between 7.96 people per 1,000 inhabitants (per mille) in Tibet and -6.92 per mille in Heilongjiang province. The national total population growth rate turned negative in 2022 and ranged at -1.48 per mille in 2023. Regional disparities in population growth The natural growth rate is the difference between the birth rate and the death rate of a certain region. In China, natural population growth reached the highest values in the western regions of the country. These areas have a younger population and higher fertility rates. Although the natural growth rate does not include the direct effects of migration, migrants are often young people in their reproductive years, and their movement may therefore indirectly affect the birth rates of their home and host region. This is one of the reasons why Guangdong province, which received a lot of immigrants over the last decades, has a comparatively high population growth rate. At the same time, Jilin, Liaoning, and Heilongjiang province, all located in northeast China, suffer not only from low fertility, but also from emigration of young people searching for better jobs elsewhere. The impact of uneven population growth The current distribution of natural population growth rates across China is most likely to remain in the near future, while overall population decline is expected to accelerate. Regions with less favorable economic opportunities will lose their inhabitants faster. The western regions with their high fertility rates, however, have only small total populations, which limits their effect on China’s overall population size.