This article is about the demographics of the People's Republic of China. For the demographics of the Republic of China (Taiwan), see Demographics of Taiwan.
Demographics of ChinaPopulation pyramid of China in November 2020[needs update]Population 1,408,280,000 (31 December 2024)[1]Growth rate −0.15% (2023 est.) (159th)Birth rate 6.77 births per 1,000 (2024 est.)[2]Death rate7.87 deaths per 1,000 (2023 est.)Life expectancy 78.6 years (2022) • male 76.0 years (2022) • female 81.3 years (2022)Fertility rate 1.15 children per woman (2024 est.)[3]Infant mortality rate6.76 deaths per 1000 live births (2022)[4]Age structure0–14 years16.48% (male 124,166,174/female 108,729,429)15–64 years69.4% (male 504,637,819/female 476,146,909)65 and over14.11% (male 92,426,805/female 107,035,710) (2023 est.)[5]Sex ratioTotal1.04 male to female (2024 est.)[5]At birth1.09 male to female (2024 est.)[5]Under 151.14 male to female (2024 est.)[5]15–64 years1.06 male to female (2024 est.)[5]65 and over0.86 male to female (2024 est.)[5]NationalityMajor ethnic Han Chinese (91.11%)[6]Minor ethnic Zhuang (1.39%) Uyghurs (0.84%) Hui (0.81%) Miao (0.79%) Manchus (0.74%) Yi (0.70%) Tujia (0.68%) Tibetans (0.50%) Mongols (0.45%) Bouyei (0.25%) Other groups (1.74%) LanguageOfficialStandard ChineseSpokenVarious; See Languages of China
The People's Republic of China is the second most-populous country in the world with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, only surpassed by India.
China's population has a relatively small youth component, partially a result of the strict enforcement of China's one-child policy that was in effect from 1979 until 2015, which limited urban families to one offspring and rural families to two. As of 2022[update], Chinese state media reported the country's total fertility rate to be 1.09, one of the lowest in the world alongside South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore.[7]
China was the world's most populous country from at least 1950[8] until being surpassed by India in 2023.[9][10]
By one estimate, in 2024 China's population stood at about 1.408 billion, down from the 1.412 billion recorded in the 2020 census.[11] According to the 2020 census, 91.11% of the population was Han Chinese, and 8.89% were minorities. China's population growth rate is -0.10%.[12][13] China conducted its sixth national population census in 2010,[14][15] and its seventh census was completed in late 2020, with data released in May 2021.[16]
China faces the challenge of an aging population due to increased life expectancy and declining birth rates.[17] This demographic shift has implications for social services and the labor force.[17]
Population[edit] Historical population[edit] Main article: Population history of China Historical population in China from 400 BC[18] Historical population of India and China since 1100 with projection to 2100 (Outdated, early 2022 projections)During 1960–2015, the population grew to nearly 1.4 billion. Under Mao Zedong, China nearly doubled in population from 540 million in 1949 to 969 million in 1979. This growth slowed because of the one-child policy instituted in 1979.[18] The 2022 data shows a declining population for the first time since 1961.[19]
China's population reached 1 billion in 1982, making it the first country to reach this milestone.[20]
Censuses in China[edit] Main article: Census in ChinaThe People's Republic of China conducted censuses in 1953, 1964, 1982, 1990, 2000, 2010, and 2020. In 1987, the government announced that the fourth national census would take place in 1990 and that there would be one every ten years thereafter. The 1982 census (which reported a total population of 1,008,180,738) is generally accepted as significantly more reliable, accurate, and thorough than the previous two.[21] Various international organizations eagerly assisted the Chinese in conducting the 1982 census, including the United Nations Fund for Population Activities, which donated US$100.0 million between 1980 and 1989 for a variety of projects, one of which being the 1982 census.[22]
China was the world's most populous nation until being surpassed by India in 2023.[23]
By the seventh census in 2020, the total population had reached to 1,419,933,142, with the mainland hing 1,411,778,724, Hong Kong hing 7,474,200, and Macau hing 683,218. However, this number is disputed by obstetrics researcher Yi Fuxian, who argues that data related to population growth is inflated by local governments to obtain financial subsidies from the central government.[24]
Population density and distribution[edit] Population density in the year 2000 General topographic map of the most populous part of China, as per 2024 (Click to enlarge)China is the second most populous country in the world and its national population density (137/km2) is very similar to those of countries like Denmark (excluding Greenland) or the Czech Republic. However, the overall population density of China contains major regional variations. In 2002, about 94% of the population lived east of the Heihe–Tengchong Line; although this eastern area comprises only 43% of China's total land area, its population density, at roughly 280/km2, is comparable to that of Japan.[25]
Broadly speaking, the population concentrates east of the Tibetan Plateau and south of the northern steppe. The most densely populated areas included the Yangtze River Valley (of which the delta region was the most populous), Sichuan Basin, North China Plain, Pearl River Delta, and the industrial area around the city of Shenyang in the northeast.[26]
Population is most sparse in the mountainous, desert, and grassland regions of the northwest and southwest. In Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, portions are completely uninhabited, and only a few sections he populations denser than ten people per km2. The Inner Mongolia, Xinjiang, and Tibet autonomous regions and Qinghai and Gansu comprise 55% of the country's land area but in 1985 contained only 5.7% of its population.
Area (km2) Population Density China 9,650,000 (100%) 1,411,778,724 (100%) 134.7/km2 5 provinces 5,246,400 (54.45%) 84,493,388 (5.98%) 15.16/km2 Inner Mongolia 1,183,000 (12.28% ) 24,049,155 (1.70%) 20.33/km2 Xinjiang 1,660,000 (17.23%) 25,852,345 (1.83%) 12.62/km2 Tibet 1,228,400 (12.75%) 3,648,100 (0.26%) 2.31/km2 Qinghai 721,000 (7.48%) 5,923,957 (0.42%) 7.65/km2 Gansu 454,000 (4.71%) 25,019,831 (1.77%) 57.65/km2 Other provinces 4,403,605 (45.55%) 1,327,285,336 (94.02%) 277.27/km2 Source: National Bureau of Statistics Population of China by province 1953–2020[27][28] Province orautonomous region Census 1953 Census 1964 Census 1982 Census 1990 Census 2000 Census 2010 Census 2020 number % number % number % number % number % number % number % Beijing Municipality 3,768,149 1.48 8,568,495 1.23 9,230,687 3.92 11,819,407 0.95 13,820,000 1.09 19,612,368 1.46 21,893,095 1.55 Hebei 35,984,644 6.18 49,687,781 6.58 53,005,876 5.26 61,082,439 5.39 67,440,000 5.33 79,854,202 5.36 74,610,235 5.28 Tianjin Municipality 2,693,831 0.46 7,764,141 0.77 8,785,402 0.77 10,010,000 0.79 12,938,224 0.97 13,866,009 0.98 Shanxi 14,314,485 2.46 18,015,067 2.59 25,291,389 2.51 28,759,014 2.54 32,970,000 2.60 35,712,111 2.67 34,915,616 2.47 Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region 6,100,104 1.05 12,348,638 1.78 19,274,279 1.91 21,456,798 1.89 23,760,000 1.88 24,706,321 1.84 24,049,155 1.70 Rehe (now defunct) 5,160,822 0.89 Liaoning 18,545,147 3.18 26,946,200 3.88 35,721,693 3.54 39,459,697 3.48 42,380,000 3.35 43,746,323 3.27 42,591,407 3.02 Jilin 11,290,073 1.94 15,668,663 2.26 22,560,053 2.24 24,658,721 2.18 27,280,000 2.16 27,462,297 2.05 24,073,453 1.71 Heilongjiang 11,897,309 2.04 20,118,271 2.90 32,665,546 3.24 35,214,873 3.11 39,890,000 2.91 38,312,224 2.86 31,850,088 2.26 Shanghai Municipality 6,204,417 1.06 10,816,458 1.56 11,859,748 1.18 13,341,896 1.18 16,740,000 1.32 23,019,148 1.72 24,870,895 1.76 Jiangsu 41,252,192 7.08 44,504,608 6.41 60,521,114 6.00 67,056,519 5.91 74,380,000 5.88 77,659,903 5.87 84,748,016 6.00 Zhejiang 22,865,747 3.92 28,318,573 4.08 38,884,603 3.86 41,445,930 3.66 46,770,000 3.69 54,426,891 4.06 64,567,588 4.57 Anhui 30,343,637 5.21 31,241,657 4.50 49,665,724 4.93 56,180,813 4.96 59,860,000 4.73 59,500,510 4.44 61,027,171 4.32 Fujian 13,142,721 2.26 16,757,223 2.41 25,931,106 2.57 30,097,274 2.65 34,710,000 2.74 36,894,216 2.75 41,540,086 2.94 Jiangxi 16,772,865 2.88 21,068,019 3.03 33,184,827 3.29 37,710,281 3.33 41,400,000 3.27 44,567,475 3.33 45,188,635 3.20 Shandong 48,876,548 8.39 55,519,038 7.99 74,419,054 7.38 84,392,827 7.44 90,790,000 7.17 95,793,065 7.15 101,527,453 7.19 Henan 44,214,594 7.59 50,325,511 7.25 74,422,739 7.38 85,509,535 7.54 92,560,000 7.31 94,023,567 7.02 99,365,519 7.04 Hubei 27,789,693 4.77 33,709,344 4.85 47,804,150 4.74 53,969,210 4.76 60,280,000 4.76 57,237,740 4.27 57,752,557 4.09 Hunan 33,226,954 5.70 37,182,286 5.35 54,008,851 5.36 60,659,754 5.35 64,440,000 5.09 65,683,722 4.90 66,444,864 4.71 Guangdong 34,770,059 5.97 42,800,849 6.16 59,299,220 5.88 62,829,236 5.54 86,420,000 6.83 104,303,132 7.79 126,012,510 8.93 Hainan 7,870,000 0.62 8,671,518 0.65 10,081,232 0.71 Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region 19,560,822 3.36 20,845,017 3.00 36,420,960 3.61 42,245,765 3.73 44,890,000 3.55 46,026,629 3.55 50,126,804 3.55 Sichuan 62,303,999 10.69 67,956,490 9.78 99,713,310 9.89 107,218,173 9.46 83,290,000 6.58 80,418,200 6.00 83,674,866 5.93 Chongqing Municipality[note 1] 30,900,000 2.44 28,846,170 2.15 32,054,159 2.27 Guizhou 15,037,310 2.58 17,140,521 2.47 28,552,997 2.83 32,391,066 2.86 35,250,000 2.78 34,746,468 2.59 38,562,148 2.73 Yunnan 17,472,737 3.00 20,509,525 2.95 32,553,817 3.23 36,972,610 3.26 42,880,000 3.39 45,966,239 3.43 47,209,277 3.34 Tibet Autonomous Region 1,273,969 0.22 1,251,225 0.18 1,892,393 0.19 2,196,010 0.19 2,620,000 0.21 3,002,166 0.22 3,648,100 0.26 Xikang (now defunct) 3,381,064 0.58 Shaanxi 15,881,281 2.73 20,766,915 2.99 28,904,423 2.87 32,882,403 2.90 36,050,000 2.85 37,327,378 2.79 39,528,999 2.80 Gansu 12,093,600 2.06 12,630,569 1.82 19,569,261 1.94 22,371,141 1.97 25,620,000 2.02 25,575,254 1.91 25,019,831 1.77 Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region 1,506,200 0.26 2,107,500 0.30 3,895,578 0.39 4,655,451 0.41 5,620,000 0.44 6,301,350 0.47 7,202,654 0.51 Qinghai 1,676,534 0.29 2,145,604 0.31 3,895,706 0.39 4,456,946 0.39 5,180,000 0.41 5,626,722 0.42 5,923,957 0.42 Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region 4,873,608 0.84 7,270,067 1.05 13,081,681 1.30 15,155,778 1.34 19,250,000 1.52 21,813,334 1.63 25,852,345 1.83 Military personnel 4,238,210 3,199,100 2,500,000 2,300,000 2,000,000 Population with permanent residence difficult to define 4,649,985 Total China 582,603,417 694,581,759 1,008,175,288 1,133,682,501 1,265,830,000 1,339,724,852 1,411,778,724 Structure of the population[edit]Census population of China by age and sex:
China population pyramid as of 1st National Census day on June 30, 1953 China population pyramid as of 2nd National Census day on July 1, 1964 China population pyramid as of 3rd National Census day on July 1, 1982 China population pyramid as of 4th National Census day on July 1, 1990 China population pyramid as of 5th National Census day on November 1, 2000 China population pyramid as of 6th National Census day on November 1, 2010 China population pyramid as of 7th National Census day on November 1, 2020 China population pyramid as projected of 8th National Census day on November 1, 2030, in scenario of constant TFR at 2021 level and continued improvements in mortality Population pyramid of China from 1950 to 2022 Age structure projections for China up to 2100Population by Sex and Age Group (as of November 01, 2010). For statistical purposes, the data for China do not include those for Hong Kong and Macau. Data exclude 2.3 million servicemen, 4.65 million persons with permanent resident status difficult to define, and 0.12 per cent undercount based on the post enumeration survey:[29]
Age Group Male Female Total % Total 682,329,104 650,481,765 1,332,810,869 100% 0–4 41,062,566 34,470,044 75,532,610 5.67% 5–9 38,464,665 32,416,884 70,881,549 5.32% 10–14 40,267,277 34,641,185 74,908,462 5.62% 15–19 51,904,830 47,984,284 99,889,114 7.49% 20–24 64,008,573 63,403,945 127,412,518 9.56% 25–29 50,837,038 50,176,814 101,013,852 7.58% 30–34 49,521,822 47,616,381 97,138,203 7.29% 35–39 60,391,104 57,634,855 118,025,959 8.86% 40–44 63,608,678 61,145,286 124,753,964 9.36% 45–49 53,776,418 51,818,135 105,594,553 7.92% 50–54 40,363,234 38,389,937 78,753,171 5.91% 55–59 41,082,938 40,229,536 81,312,474 6.10% 60–64 29,834,426 28,832,856 58,667,282 4.40% 65–69 20,748,471 20,364,811 41,113,282 3.08% 70–74 16,403,453 16,568,944 32,972,397 2.47% 75–79 11,278,859 12,573,274 23,852,133 1.79% 80–84 5,917,502 7,455,696 13,373,198 1.00% 85–89 2,199,810 3,432,118 5,631,928 0.42% 90–94 530,872 1,047,435 1,578,307 0.12% 95–99 117,716 252,263 369,979 0.03% 100+ 8,852 27,082 35,934