Country or area · Eastern Asia · Asia · UN WPP 2024

China population

China population now

1,412,156,666

A projection read at this second, not a count: the UN's totals for 1 January 2026 and 2027, joined by a straight line. 95% range for 31 December 2026: 1.40–1.42 billion.

Mid-2023, UN estimate: 1,422,584,932

Year: 2026; projection · medium
Population, mid-2026: 1.41291 billion; 95% range, 31 Dec: 1.40–1.42 billion
Median age: 41.7
Aged 65+: 15.1%

Move through time, 1950–2100

2023 | 2024

male female projection · one cell = 200,000 people

How to read this: one row for each age, newborns at the bottom; men on the left, women on the right.

Verified 2026-09-30 · 73 canaries

CHN · 1950–2100 · in brief

China in numbers

The UN counts 1,422,584,932 people in China in mid-2023, which makes it the 2nd-largest population of the 236 countries and areas the UN reports, and 17.6% of the world's people. That is 2.6 times its 1950 population of 544 million.

Its population peaked in 2021 at 1.43 billion and has been falling since. The UN's medium projection has 633 million in 2100. The projection is uncertain: on 1 January 2100 the UN's 95% range runs from 411 million to 896 million.

Since 2021, more people have died here each year than have been born, and the UN's projection has that holding every year to 2100. Deaths also outnumbered births in 1960.

The median age was 23.3 in 1950 and 40.1 in 2023; the projection has 61.7 in 2100. 14.3% of people were 65 or older in 2023, against 45.8% projected for 2100. The working-age population (15–64) peaked in 2015 at 1.00 billion; in 2023 it was 983 million.

By size it is the 2nd country in 2023; the projection puts it 2nd in 2050 and 2nd in 2100.

Population, mid-2023: 1,422,584,932
Rank by population, 2023: 2 of 236
Share of the world, 2023: 17.6%
Change in a year, mid-2022 to mid-2023: −0.18% · −2,594,637 people
People per km² of land, 2023: 152
Land area, 2023: 9,388,210 km²
Births, 2023: 8,899,881
Deaths, 2023: 11,684,177
Net migration, 2023: −567,724
Children per woman, 2023: 1.00
Median age, 2023: 40.1 years
Life expectancy at birth, 2023: 78.0 years
In a city, 2025: 44 of every 100
Population, mid-1950: 544,044,357
Projected, mid-2050: 1,260,289,094
Projected, mid-2100: 633,368,112

CHN · 1950–2100 · total population

Population, 1950–2100

estimates | projections0250 m500 m750 m1 bn1.25 bn1.5 bn1950197520002025205020752100

estimate projection, up to the bottom of the 95% range 95% range medium projection. Each column is the population on 1 January of one year; the paper rules cut it into equal cells.

Show the numbers: China, 1950–2100

China: population on 1 January, births, deaths, fertility and life expectancy, 1950–2100
Year	Kind	Population, 1 Jan	95% range	Births	Deaths	Children per woman	Life expectancy
1950	estimate	539,190,005		22,293,375	12,564,024	5.81	43.8
1951	estimate	548,898,710		22,144,814	12,411,699	5.70	44.6
1952	estimate	558,617,784		25,496,318	12,459,842	6.47	45.3
1953	estimate	571,645,091		24,139,415	12,309,528	6.04	45.9
1954	estimate	583,469,185		25,438,543	12,145,570	6.28	46.8
1955	estimate	596,758,532		25,727,524	12,148,175	6.26	47.2
1956	estimate	610,335,483		24,364,154	11,916,102	5.85	47.8
1957	estimate	622,781,682		27,068,471	11,917,715	6.42	48.4
1958	estimate	637,930,735		24,284,912	11,704,871	5.70	48.8
1959	estimate	650,508,223		20,310,612	15,902,353	4.72	40.2
1960	estimate	654,908,211		19,310,830	19,506,188	4.45	33.4
1961	estimate	654,695,926		16,879,455	14,698,762	3.86	40.2
1962	estimate	656,851,046		26,826,299	10,349,702	6.08	51.0
1963	estimate	673,296,335		33,461,050	10,917,053	7.51	51.7
1964	estimate	695,808,956		30,071,914	10,842,874	6.67	52.3
1965	estimate	713,787,574		30,064,192	10,676,969	6.61	53.0
1966	estimate	733,043,892		29,208,554	10,496,090	6.31	53.7
1967	estimate	751,760,534		27,472,169	10,187,821	5.81	54.4
1968	estimate	770,291,518		31,649,577	10,173,291	6.51	55.2
1969	estimate	791,730,531		30,911,420	10,018,983	6.17	56.0
1970	estimate	812,550,133		31,461,750	9,817,575	6.08	56.8
1971	estimate	834,067,801		29,670,983	9,486,697	5.52	57.7
1972	estimate	854,071,933		28,596,626	9,169,215	5.11	58.6
1973	estimate	873,283,695		27,636,942	8,835,447	4.73	59.5
1974	estimate	891,870,197		25,594,012	8,544,007	4.17	60.2
1975	estimate	908,744,967		23,099,724	8,240,904	3.57	61.0
1976	estimate	923,488,619		22,013,490	8,191,034	3.23	61.2
1977	estimate	937,255,966		20,323,856	7,727,709	2.84	62.5
1978	estimate	949,836,783		20,249,289	7,589,981	2.72	63.1
1979	estimate	962,486,186		21,151,275	7,533,806	2.75	63.7
1980	estimate	976,089,953		21,674,421	7,507,117	2.74	64.2
1981	estimate	990,237,132		22,489,545	7,493,645	2.79	64.8
1982	estimate	1,005,205,011		24,352,551	7,550,025	2.97	65.3
1983	estimate	1,021,971,348		21,682,298	7,451,333	2.56	65.7
1984	estimate	1,036,158,564		22,909,693	7,475,573	2.61	66.2
1985	estimate	1,051,540,712		24,136,257	7,541,116	2.63	66.5
1986	estimate	1,068,074,929		26,044,589	7,648,042	2.72	66.9
1987	estimate	1,086,392,285		27,557,082	7,737,587	2.76	67.3
1988	estimate	1,106,042,607		26,442,277	7,756,967	2.54	67.6
1989	estimate	1,124,445,724		27,234,008	7,829,967	2.52	67.9
1990	estimate	1,143,536,292		28,079,115	7,975,059	2.51	68.2
1991	estimate	1,163,629,156		22,645,215	7,781,832	1.93	68.6
1992	estimate	1,177,947,900		21,066,913	7,671,254	1.78	69.1
1993	estimate	1,191,200,574		20,203,478	7,614,159	1.69	69.5
1994	estimate	1,203,416,576		19,528,689	7,632,007	1.63	69.8
1995	estimate	1,214,589,617		19,003,368	7,548,769	1.59	70.4
1996	estimate	1,225,678,238		18,306,560	7,522,666	1.55	70.8
1997	estimate	1,236,211,386		17,677,015	7,541,292	1.53	71.2
1998	estimate	1,246,067,858		17,187,249	7,588,236	1.52	71.6
1999	estimate	1,255,626,395		16,862,871	7,666,251	1.53	72.0
2000	estimate	1,264,726,915		17,551,191	7,780,052	1.63	72.3
2001	estimate	1,274,435,436		16,586,483	7,830,805	1.56	72.7
2002	estimate	1,283,014,689		16,382,375	7,916,788	1.57	73.0
2003	estimate	1,290,718,988		16,221,728	8,011,828	1.57	73.4
2004	estimate	1,298,315,664		16,461,427	8,121,149	1.60	73.7
2005	estimate	1,305,884,967		16,602,725	8,214,687	1.62	74.1
2006	estimate	1,314,169,304		16,868,048	8,339,014	1.64	74.4
2007	estimate	1,321,938,768		17,202,357	8,410,715	1.67	74.8
2008	estimate	1,329,688,395		17,712,990	8,683,382	1.70	74.8
2009	estimate	1,337,953,637		18,031,193	8,715,893	1.71	75.3
2010	estimate	1,347,091,795		17,912,367	8,788,797	1.69	75.7
2011	estimate	1,356,031,233		17,824,404	8,969,343	1.67	75.9
2012	estimate	1,364,470,096		19,246,445	9,086,053	1.80	76.2
2013	estimate	1,374,571,633		18,297,106	9,235,338	1.71	76.5
2014	estimate	1,383,444,448		18,769,423	9,383,269	1.77	76.7
2015	estimate	1,392,459,496		17,518,179	9,521,879	1.67	77.0
2016	estimate	1,399,808,851		18,329,285	9,688,663	1.77	77.2
2017	estimate	1,408,296,413		18,260,492	10,049,252	1.79	77.2
2018	estimate	1,416,413,041		15,357,072	9,967,028	1.54	77.7
2019	estimate	1,421,604,871		14,615,866	10,128,804	1.50	77.9
2020	estimate	1,425,435,844		11,843,469	10,411,385	1.24	78.0
2021	estimate	1,426,776,342		10,461,124	10,759,526	1.12	78.1
2022	estimate	1,426,098,192		9,455,320	10,998,729	1.03	78.2
2023	estimate	1,424,260,946		8,899,881	11,684,177	1.00	78.0
2024	estimate	1,420,908,919		8,822,056	11,678,348	1.01	78.0
2025	projection	1,417,733,636	1.41–1.42 billion	8,709,352	11,716,325	1.02	78.4
2026	projection	1,414,458,552	1.41–1.42 billion	8,625,232	11,482,043	1.03	79.0
2027	projection	1,411,369,625	1.40–1.42 billion	8,530,091	11,697,065	1.04	79.2
2028	projection	1,407,989,187	1.40–1.42 billion	8,459,285	11,931,434	1.05	79.4
2029	projection	1,404,284,300	1.39–1.42 billion	8,387,151	12,172,003	1.05	79.6
2030	projection	1,400,281,205	1.38–1.42 billion	8,359,513	12,415,076	1.06	79.8
2031	projection	1,396,026,459	1.37–1.42 billion	8,333,549	12,666,212	1.07	80.0
2032	projection	1,391,470,880	1.37–1.41 billion	8,336,974	12,930,649	1.08	80.2
2033	projection	1,386,649,184	1.36–1.41 billion	8,338,014	13,211,158	1.08	80.4
2034	projection	1,381,543,858	1.35–1.41 billion	8,366,449	13,484,813	1.09	80.6
2035	projection	1,376,210,011	1.34–1.41 billion	8,417,265	13,768,799	1.10	80.8
2036	projection	1,370,645,051	1.33–1.41 billion	8,464,500	14,050,558	1.10	81.0
2037	projection	1,364,840,518	1.32–1.41 billion	8,534,952	14,332,012	1.11	81.2
2038	projection	1,358,819,609	1.31–1.40 billion	8,599,971	14,607,107	1.12	81.4
2039	projection	1,352,625,805	1.30–1.40 billion	8,643,084	14,890,775	1.13	81.5
2040	projection	1,346,163,630	1.29–1.40 billion	8,678,993	15,166,698	1.13	81.7
2041	projection	1,339,469,683	1.28–1.40 billion	8,690,436	15,432,845	1.14	81.9
2042	projection	1,332,510,780	1.27–1.39 billion	8,695,917	15,690,559	1.14	82.1
2043	projection	1,325,307,695	1.26–1.39 billion	8,697,632	15,944,100	1.15	82.2
2044	projection	1,317,873,900	1.24–1.39 billion	8,641,174	16,196,731	1.15	82.4
2045	projection	1,310,158,073	1.23–1.38 billion	8,545,851	16,442,831	1.16	82.6
2046	projection	1,302,069,502	1.22–1.38 billion	8,393,211	16,677,540	1.16	82.7
2047	projection	1,293,565,661	1.21–1.37 billion	8,191,611	16,898,720	1.17	82.9
2048	projection	1,284,675,192	1.19–1.37 billion	7,941,431	17,117,343	1.17	83.1
2049	projection	1,275,309,978	1.18–1.36 billion	7,669,618	17,326,182	1.18	83.2
2050	projection	1,265,452,312	1.17–1.36 billion	7,371,348	17,526,294	1.18	83.4
2051	projection	1,255,125,875	1.15–1.35 billion	7,044,724	17,723,867	1.19	83.5
2052	projection	1,244,259,201	1.13–1.34 billion	6,721,240	17,913,885	1.19	83.7
2053	projection	1,232,855,063	1.12–1.33 billion	6,413,271	18,085,585	1.20	83.8
2054	projection	1,221,004,646	1.10–1.33 billion	6,107,186	18,246,750	1.20	84.0
2055	projection	1,208,702,046	1.09–1.32 billion	5,851,649	18,398,725	1.21	84.1
2056	projection	1,195,982,896	1.07–1.31 billion	5,615,465	18,518,898	1.21	84.3
2057	projection	1,182,898,442	1.06–1.30 billion	5,418,375	18,625,018	1.22	84.5
2058	projection	1,169,537,449	1.04–1.29 billion	5,252,022	18,709,047	1.22	84.6
2059	projection	1,155,907,968	1.02–1.28 billion	5,128,211	18,772,682	1.23	84.7
2060	projection	1,142,096,367	1.01–1.27 billion	5,031,775	18,796,525	1.23	84.9
2061	projection	1,128,158,014	0.99–1.26 billion	4,963,013	18,779,870	1.23	85.0
2062	projection	1,114,191,419	0.97–1.25 billion	4,925,201	18,735,388	1.24	85.2
2063	projection	1,100,222,847	0.95–1.23 billion	4,913,203	18,661,701	1.24	85.3
2064	projection	1,086,330,560	0.94–1.22 billion	4,911,184	18,591,036	1.25	85.5
2065	projection	1,072,485,204	0.92–1.21 billion	4,918,272	18,489,226	1.25	85.6
2066	projection	1,058,779,855	0.91–1.20 billion	4,932,884	18,369,465	1.25	85.7
2067	projection	1,045,198,415	0.89–1.19 billion	4,954,611	18,250,826	1.26	85.8
2068	projection	1,031,747,221	0.87–1.18 billion	4,976,513	18,130,772	1.26	86.0
2069	projection	1,018,459,683	0.86–1.18 billion	4,985,306	18,011,240	1.26	86.1
2070	projection	1,005,296,697	0.84–1.16 billion	4,992,558	17,896,301	1.27	86.3
2071	projection	992,271,941	0.83–1.16 billion	4,999,007	17,805,430	1.27	86.4
2072	projection	979,341,179	0.81–1.15 billion	4,992,985	17,725,650	1.27	86.5
2073	projection	966,470,163	0.80–1.14 billion	4,981,944	17,673,209	1.28	86.6
2074	projection	953,640,603	0.78–1.13 billion	4,947,802	17,613,019	1.28	86.8
2075	projection	940,858,230	0.77–1.12 billion	4,909,046	17,564,112	1.28	86.9
2076	projection	928,075,091	0.75–1.11 billion	4,852,966	17,534,330	1.28	87.0
2077	projection	915,280,168	0.74–1.10 billion	4,781,761	17,487,888	1.29	87.1
2078	projection	902,468,895	0.72–1.09 billion	4,702,299	17,447,753	1.29	87.3
2079	projection	889,618,682	0.71–1.08 billion	4,600,305	17,387,764	1.29	87.4
2080	projection	876,715,269	0.69–1.07 billion	4,494,699	17,303,063	1.29	87.5
2081	projection	863,789,419	0.67–1.06 billion	4,376,994	17,188,034	1.30	87.6
2082	projection	850,868,010	0.66–1.05 billion	4,260,769	17,030,832	1.30	87.7
2083	projection	838,010,383	0.64–1.04 billion	4,139,395	16,864,642	1.30	87.8
2084	projection	825,198,952	0.62–1.03 billion	4,009,650	16,661,862	1.30	88.0
2085	projection	812,431,761	0.61–1.02 billion	3,890,546	16,421,681	1.31	88.1
2086	projection	799,798,347	0.60–1.01 billion	3,769,295	16,155,980	1.31	88.2
2087	projection	787,320,161	583.7–999.6 million	3,660,162	15,892,290	1.31	88.3
2088	projection	774,987,274	569.1–988.6 million	3,554,395	15,627,209	1.31	88.4
2089	projection	762,810,991	554.8–978.6 million	3,464,364	15,368,544	1.32	88.5
2090	projection	750,807,230	541.0–970.5 million	3,389,728	15,111,620	1.32	88.7
2091	projection	738,998,443	527.5–963.3 million	3,321,083	14,868,609	1.33	88.8
2092	projection	727,360,470	513.1–954.1 million	3,260,196	14,661,465	1.33	88.9
2093	projection	715,865,031	499.9–948.3 million	3,213,529	14,476,663	1.33	89.0
2094	projection	704,506,905	486.2–940.2 million	3,174,648	14,309,037	1.33	89.1
2095	projection	693,280,636	474.6–933.0 million	3,145,975	14,174,950	1.33	89.2
2096	projection	682,167,534	461.5–924.0 million	3,128,414	14,043,341	1.33	89.3
2097	projection	671,154,220	449.0–916.6 million	3,120,410	13,941,773	1.34	89.5
2098	projection	660,236,787	437.4–909.9 million	3,111,630	13,848,116	1.34	89.6
2099	projection	649,413,991	423.7–902.8 million	3,109,207	13,753,667	1.34	89.7
2100	projection	638,684,810	410.7–895.5 million	3,099,844	13,655,448	1.34	89.8

Show the numbers: China, mid-2026, by single year of age

China: population by single year of age, mid-2026
Age	Male	Female
0	4,503,530	4,114,870
1	4,554,560	4,142,310
2	4,610,800	4,172,480
3	4,777,510	4,316,420
4	5,175,770	4,685,660
5	5,802,020	5,237,380
6	6,933,920	6,155,690
7	7,888,600	6,930,290
8	8,831,510	7,782,700
9	9,619,650	8,453,620
10	9,446,540	8,240,280
11	9,569,980	8,311,230
12	9,782,820	8,462,530
13	9,914,520	8,544,900
14	9,789,700	8,412,060
15	9,431,750	8,083,210
16	9,475,630	8,104,270
17	9,400,680	8,026,130
18	9,147,220	7,798,680
19	8,884,810	7,565,560
20	8,688,210	7,393,350
21	8,543,390	7,270,190
22	8,407,780	7,159,140
23	8,355,230	7,124,050
24	8,420,880	7,195,140
25	8,693,120	7,448,660
26	8,731,730	7,503,760
27	8,599,790	7,415,270
28	8,761,640	7,584,180
29	8,993,030	7,818,700
30	9,269,750	8,098,900
31	9,512,840	8,356,890
32	9,744,430	8,613,990
33	10,056,100	8,951,180
34	10,584,700	9,488,220
35	12,219,700	11,035,200
36	13,259,500	12,054,900
37	12,788,700	11,704,600
38	12,792,700	11,787,000
39	12,628,500	11,710,400
40	11,749,300	10,962,000
41	10,945,700	10,270,400
42	10,309,700	9,722,370
43	10,586,000	10,029,300
44	10,711,600	10,186,700
45	10,024,300	9,565,950
46	9,645,490	9,234,960
47	9,244,950	8,880,110
48	8,975,320	8,649,760
49	9,274,320	8,970,080
50	9,776,010	9,492,960
51	10,425,700	10,168,800
52	11,252,000	11,028,200
53	11,721,800	11,543,900
54	11,967,900	11,844,600
55	12,360,600	12,303,500
56	12,403,900	12,419,600
57	12,226,700	12,313,500
58	11,355,600	11,498,300
59	10,686,600	10,880,100
60	10,972,600	11,235,900
61	10,908,800	11,242,900
62	11,273,800	11,708,400
63	10,454,500	10,949,400
64	7,257,850	7,676,580
65	5,470,720	5,856,440
66	5,572,320	6,028,120
67	6,149,050	6,718,770
68	7,122,330	7,879,040
69	7,079,850	7,951,450
70	6,721,310	7,679,260
71	6,613,830	7,693,320
72	6,134,530	7,278,040
73	5,865,850	7,100,650
74	5,368,830	6,623,490
75	4,749,630	5,975,820
76	4,229,200	5,375,070
77	3,633,890	4,615,330
78	3,232,130	4,089,410
79	2,842,980	3,641,550
80	2,447,670	3,246,590
81	2,101,670	2,860,150
82	1,816,290	2,531,820
83	1,577,420	2,278,320
84	1,391,620	2,086,900
85	1,198,780	1,866,080
86	983,282	1,596,360
87	815,257	1,379,620
88	680,234	1,210,870
89	542,147	1,038,940
90	419,674	879,166
91	314,727	717,464
92	229,710	564,613
93	156,939	420,605
94	99,904	295,200
95	63,236	209,180
96	37,920	144,763
97	21,096	95,672
98	10,938	60,740
99	5,027	35,974
100+	4,342	48,372

CHN · 1950–2100 · every age, every year

China, every age in every year

Each column is a year and each row an age; the denser the ink in a cell, the more people. Everyone born in the same year climbs one 45° diagonal, so famines, baby booms and migration show up as streaks. Select a cell to follow its generation.

CHN · ages 15–64

Who does the work in China

China had the most working-age people it is ever expected to have in 2015: 1,000,030,000 people aged 15–64, against 982,925,000 in 2023.

100 aged 15–64

24 children

21 aged 65+

aged 15–64 children under 15 aged 65 and over

How to read this: one orange square for each of 100 people aged 15–64 in 2023. Beneath them, teal for the children living alongside those 100 and violet for the people aged 65 or older.

Fewer than 50 dependants live alongside every 100 people aged 15–64 in 41 years: 1996–2036.

fewer than 50 dependants per 100 the same, projected 50 or more

How to read this: the strip runs 1950 to 2100. Coloured years are the ones with under 50 dependants for every 100 people aged 15–64; grey years are the rest, and a hatched year has not happened yet.

How every country compares

CHN · arrivals minus departures

Who arrives in China, and who leaves

In 2020–2025 China loses 348,033 people a year: everyone who arrives, minus everyone who leaves. The age at which that happens most is 20–24, at 112,261 a year more leaving than arriving.

one square = 20,000 people a year

020406080+

more arrive than leave more leave than arrive

How to read this: each column is one age, youngest on the left. Above the line, in blue, are the ages gaining people; below it, in orange, the ages losing them. This is the UN's projection for 2020–2025 — the record of migration by age does not go back beyond 2020.

Its best and worst years between 1950 and 2023: a gain of 1,246,654 (1967), and a loss of 1,250,441 (1964).

In 2024, 1,638,718 people living in China had been born in another country, fewer than 1 of every 100 people there, against fewer than 1 in 1990.

How migration works everywhere

CHN · births by the mother's age · 1950–2100

Who has the babies in China

Of every 100 babies born in China in 2023, 2 had a mother under 20, 80 a mother aged 20 to 34 and 18 a mother aged 35 or older. In 1950 it was 9 under 20 and 23 aged 35 or older.

1950
9 · 68 · 23

2023
2 · 80 · 18

2050 · projected
1 · 68 · 31

The mother's age: under 20 20 to 34 35 or older projected

How to read this: shrink a year's babies to 100 and colour each one by the age of its mother — that is a block. Under it, the same three groups as numbers, starting with the youngest mothers.

Babies born, 2023: 8,899,881
Average age when women have a baby: 29.0 years; 29.9 in 1950
Babies a year per 1,000 girls aged 15–19: 5; 85 in 1950

Babies by the mother's age, 1950–2100

Babies born in China by the mother's age
Mother's age	1950	1975	2000	2023	2050 projected	2100 projected
10–14	30,814	15,814	323	236	143	65
15–19	2,090,761	1,170,534	330,995	196,058	70,565	37,251
20–24	5,498,372	8,479,088	6,318,331	1,718,516	503,205	327,163
25–29	5,470,941	6,836,328	7,417,979	2,808,429	1,499,598	899,080
30–34	4,164,101	3,391,375	2,848,389	2,590,886	3,012,936	1,088,395
35–39	3,184,173	2,028,854	544,229	1,214,006	1,847,305	588,030
40–44	1,646,803	1,024,323	74,433	280,842	406,369	145,344
45–49	202,313	144,372	12,460	81,501	30,787	14,276
50–54	5,097	9,036	4,052	9,407	440	240
All babies	22,293,375	23,099,724	17,551,191	8,899,881	7,371,348	3,099,844

The UN's births for each year, split by the mother's age in the UN's own proportions.

CHN · healthy years · 2021

Years in good health in China

In China, WHO puts the healthy years a newborn could expect in 2021 at 68.6 (95% range 67.8–69.5), out of 77.6 in all. The years in less than full health come to 9.0, below the world's 9.5, in lives longer than the world's 71.4 years: more of them are healthy ones.

Women

70.1 in full health, 10.4 not: 80.5 years

Men

67.2 in full health, 7.8 not: 75.0 years

a year in full health a year in less than full health

How to read this: each square is a year of life, each row ten years; filled squares are years in full health, rounded to whole years.

Women: 70.1 healthy years of 80.5. Men: 67.2 of 75.0.

CHN · forced from home · end of 2025

Displacement in China

At the end of 2025, China was hosting 712 people who had crossed a border into it, fewer than 1 in every 100,000 people living there.

hosted from abroad712
China nationals abroad253,678

stayed inside their own country crossed a border

How to read this: count the squares — 5,000 people each, so the rows can be compared with one another. The last row is people from China living in another country, wherever they are. An outlined square means fewer people than one square stands for.

In 2025, 61 people asked for asylum in China for the first time; 25,210 people from China asked for asylum in another country. Of every 100 people from China whose claims were decided that year, 41 were given protection. Who asks for asylum, and who is given it

How the world's displacement is counted

CHN · of every 100 people

How people live in China

Of every 100 people in China in 2025, 44 lived in a city, 40 in a town or suburb and 16 in the countryside.

cities towns and suburbs rural areas

Nearly everyone has electricity at home (2024). 8 of every 100 do not use the internet (2024).

How to read this: one square for every hundredth person, coloured as the key shows. Because the rule behind the colours is the same everywhere, two countries' squares can be compared directly.

How the world's people live

CHN · adults 25 and over · 2020

How far people in China went in school

Of every 100 adults in China in 2020, 4 never went to school and 30 finished upper secondary or went further.

4 never went to school 6 some primary 16 finished primary 44 finished lower secondary 15 finished upper secondary 15 studied after school

Compare two generations. Aged 60–64, 7.1 of every 100 women and 2.2 of every 100 men never went to school; aged 25–29, 0.5 and 0.4.

Its people aged 15 to 64 were most numerous in 2020, the first year counted, and are never as many again in the middle projection; the ones who finished upper secondary are most numerous later, in 2050.

How to read this: every adult here as one of 100 squares. The stronger the colour, the further that person went in school (the Wittgenstein Centre, 2020).

How far the world's people went in school

CHN · cities · 2025

Cities in China

China had 2,082 cities in 2025, home to 625.0 million people. The largest, Shanghai, holds 2 of every 100 people in China.

Shanghai29,558,908
Guangzhou27,563,372
Beijing17,013,303
Shenzhen13,878,396
Suzhou (31.3° N, 120.7° E)7,731,101
Hangzhou7,500,208
Wuhan7,363,548
Tianjin7,285,342
Chongqing7,071,073
Nanjing6,800,676

All 385 cities in China that reach 300,000 people

Shanghai 29,558,908
Guangzhou 27,563,372
Beijing 17,013,303
Shenzhen 13,878,396
Suzhou (31.3° N, 120.7° E) 7,731,101
Hangzhou 7,500,208
Wuhan 7,363,548
Tianjin 7,285,342
Chongqing 7,071,073
Nanjing 6,800,676
Chaozhou 6,407,770
Chengdu 6,139,874
Shenyang 5,702,638
Xi'an 5,231,053
Zhengzhou 4,878,035
Hefei 4,867,000
Harbin 4,376,259
Wenzhou 4,158,195
Taiyuan 4,005,816
Puning 3,989,322
Ürümqi 3,755,144
Qingdao 3,616,657
Jinan 3,472,980
Changsha 3,457,508
Changchun 3,349,934
Nanchang 3,299,773
Nanning 3,288,636
Quanzhou 3,286,129
Kunming 3,228,117
Ningbo 3,094,833
Shijiazhuang 2,990,397
Fuzhou 2,910,985
Dalian 2,796,248
Guiyang 2,686,949
Changzhou 2,649,836
Wuxi 2,613,100
Tangshan 2,286,763
Lanzhou 2,272,104
Cixi 2,177,489
Hohhot 1,993,292
Putian 1,871,858
Yinchuan 1,792,788
Xiamen City 1,788,492
Handan 1,777,172
Luoyang 1,727,744
Nantong 1,684,417
Wuhu 1,631,043
Zibo 1,620,676
Datong 1,573,531
Baotou 1,491,964
Anyang 1,489,112
Taizhou (28.6° N, 121.4° E) 1,483,994
Xiuying District 1,458,377
Jilin City 1,448,955
Xuzhou 1,402,001
Liuzhou 1,400,880
Xining 1,360,245
Huaiyin District 1,349,827
Zhongshan 1,326,078
Anshan 1,322,386
Yichang 1,314,779
Zhangzhou 1,232,911
Ganzhou 1,216,248
Yueqing 1,160,214
Huizhou 1,137,670
Tianjia‘an 1,100,258
Yancheng 1,093,432
Kaifeng 1,087,088
Zhangjiagang 1,068,192
Honghuagang 1,062,992
Luohe 1,018,295
Binhai New Area 1,017,230
Jinhua 998,519
Shiyan 992,165
Shunqing 990,466
Linyi 987,615
Zhuzhou 979,244
Guilin 973,970
Baoding 970,162
Xiangyang 969,011
Fushan 968,359
Linfen 945,174
Ma'anshan 929,836
Xuchang 916,553
Weifang 908,584
Qiqihar 892,744
Huadu 882,089
Chenghai 875,988
Hengyang 873,169
Xinxiang 858,975
Jinzhou 854,575
Haizhou District 850,645
Fuyang (32.9° N, 115.8° E) 839,236
Tengzhou 834,697
Baoji 823,847
Huangshi 821,445
Quzhou 811,735
Jining (35.4° N, 116.6° E) 803,706
Qinhuangdao 797,748
Jincheng 794,234
Yingkou (40.7° N, 122.2° E) 786,031
Suzhou (33.6° N, 117.0° E) 785,949
Yingkou (27.6° N, 110.0° E) 782,210
Nanyang 782,146
Zhenjiang 781,639
Pingdingshan 779,154
Yueyang 775,434
Changshu 774,010
Yiwu 766,253
Liupanshui 766,243
Yangzhou 759,812
Mudanjiang 758,800
Xinyu 756,365
Xingtai 754,483
Puyang 753,625
Jiaxing 751,156
Yichun 745,754
Dandong 738,721
Benxi 734,933
Lu'an 729,998
Zhumadian 727,923
Suqian 725,070
Yingxia 719,432
Gulin 718,364
Linchuan 718,050
Xiaogan 711,726
Jiaozuo 704,917
Yiyang 703,724
Tai'an 703,020
Qingyuan 702,881
Deyang 700,386
Donghe 696,169
Dazhou 693,707
Zhoukou 689,599
Longgang 681,306
Youyi 680,993
Jingzhou 678,632
Ankang 678,483
Shangqiu 676,590
Bazhong City 675,756
Jiamusi 673,406
Fushun 665,286
Leiyang 662,696
Zucheng 654,599
Changde 651,562
Jiangyin 637,502
Mianyang 636,781
Liaoyang 635,212
Fangshan 633,763
Yuxi 631,209
Qujing 630,828
Pingxiang 623,055
Xiashan 622,080
Hengshui 618,465
Suining 613,678
Xingning 609,923
Zhaoqing 607,624
Zhangjiakou 606,124
Anqiu 605,324
Changzhi 602,771
Leshan 600,101
Maoming 599,504
Chifeng 599,299
Jiujiang 597,681
Huaibei 596,613
Huiyang 596,451
Yongchuan 590,694
Weihai 589,850
Loudi 585,521
Cangzhou 585,507
Beihai 577,338
Binzhou 576,823
Shengze 562,800
Yulin (22.6° N, 110.2° E) 558,277
Yuncheng 558,182
Shangrao 556,394
Yitang 555,576
Panjin 551,709
Luhe 551,106
Meishan 546,811
Huangdao District 545,983
Wanzhou 544,748
Huazhou 543,709
Chengtougu 541,451
Shaoyang 538,432
Fengrun 538,206
Xianyang 537,601
Bengbu 535,096
Bozhou 531,429
Beibei 527,806
Langfang 527,161
Liling 520,239
Liaocheng 519,411
Dongsheng 518,080
Zhuji 515,549
Chenzhou 514,905
Tongliao 512,445
Tianshui 511,831
Jinhe 510,984
Hegang 509,748
Fuxin 508,131
Shunyi 507,591
Kashgar 506,476
Jingjiang 505,098
Anqing 503,036
Anshun 499,794
Yangjiang 496,608
Huludao 495,819
Baishan 495,030
Siping 493,984
Dezhou 493,272
Enshi 485,222
Huzhou 483,361
Rizhao 481,315
Huai'an District 480,263
Gaomi 479,056
Yulin (38.2° N, 109.8° E) 478,875
Zigong 477,271
Jinzhong 473,959
Chuxiong 471,251
Lüliang 469,647
Changge 468,159
Beilun District 467,912
Yangquan 467,148
Tongxiang 465,450
Shanwei 464,738
Meizhou 464,343
Bijie 463,837
Yuhu 462,605
Yanji 461,800
Jiaozhou 457,288
Jiangyang 452,500
Heyuan 449,860
Zoucheng 447,484
Chengde 444,971
Chaoyang 443,864
Zhanjiang 440,587
Guang'an 436,199
Gaozhou 435,368
Shizhong 433,213
Huiminxiang 432,064
Huidong 428,137
Hanchuan 426,922
Longquanyi 426,144
Ranghulu 424,460
Ziyang 424,328
Jingdezhen 423,386
Shaoguan 422,509
Longyan 422,165
Taixing 416,677
Lishui 416,469
Yixing 415,587
Fuyang (30.0° N, 119.9° E) 415,492
Jixi 412,341
Tashikeruike 411,163
Huangyan District 410,213
Dongtai 409,015
Zhaodong 407,507
Daqing 405,480
Jiashan 405,454
Wuzhou 398,593
Sanya 398,270
Pingliang 398,221
Heze 397,886
Xinxing 395,115
Danzhou City 394,343
Ezhou 393,658
Jiyuan 392,568
Zheba 390,709
Wenling 390,282
Changping 386,664
Yongkang 385,247
Fuqing 385,081
Haicheng 383,983
Tongling 383,739
Guangyuan 381,738
Changji/Sanji 381,391
Dongyang 380,793
Laiwu 379,135
Xinghua 375,876
Haimen 374,644
Liuyang 371,661
Taizhou (32.5° N, 119.9° E) 371,055
Xuancheng 369,529
Shuyang 368,686
Shihezi 367,883
Xianyou 367,523
Tong'an 366,871
Liyang 363,285
Xingping 363,206
Linhai 362,290
Qidong 362,192
Hulan 361,540
Danyang City 358,677
Yongzhou 354,335
Lili 354,151
Haifeng 353,473
Xinyang 351,064
Gaoyou 348,058
Guankou 344,468
Dongying 343,003
Kaili 342,989
Yanshi District 342,565
Dujiangyan 342,467
Qingzhou 342,044
Neijiang 341,371
Bo'ai 339,876
Yan'an 338,883
Sihui 337,299
Shuozhou 336,303
Ningguo 336,274
Shouguang 336,017
Changyi 335,538
Tianmen 334,299
Jianyang 333,938
Xuanhua 333,650
Hui'an 332,559
Liaoyuan 331,469
Xuanwei 330,467
Dashiqiao 330,302
Shangyu District 328,545
Ya'an 328,287
Baoshan 327,416
Xiangtan 326,965
Jiaonan 325,383
Kaiping 324,576
Lieshan 323,702
Huangshan 323,492
Chuzhou 321,424
Aksu 320,179
Zhangqiu 319,153
Qili 318,490
Guiping 315,905
Miluo 315,273
Tongzhou 315,167
Nankang 314,564
Ningde 314,107
Hezhou 313,994
Raoping 313,705
Lufeng 312,588
Emeishan 310,503
Huairou 309,856
Xichang 309,170
Cangnan 308,925
Tonghua 308,016
Jinshan 307,246
Cenxi 306,146
Gaoming 304,429
Gao'an 304,111
Zhaotong 302,089
Changxing 301,206
Yongcheng 299,180
Baochi 298,433
Guigang 298,077
Shengzhou 297,906
Xiantao 297,859
Wenjiang 296,976
Renqiu 295,917
Pinghu 295,531
Hechuan 295,189
Yanjiao 294,943
Anlu 293,857
Bayannur 291,787
Baicheng 290,420
Huilai 288,590
Weinan 288,582
Sanhe 282,844
Suizhou 282,058
Pinggu 274,753
Xianning 274,146
Yibin 273,660
Sanmenxia 272,970
Wuqing 269,223
Yaguang 266,899
Jining (41.0° N, 113.1° E) 265,293
Jianhu 259,681
Dinghai District 257,524
Golmud 251,353
Shehong 251,287
Jiangyou 251,202
Xinchang 240,747
Fenghua District 240,478
Binhai 227,533
Wuxue 211,544
Nanxun 204,276

How to read this: the 10 largest cities in 2025, bars on one scale. A city is the whole built-up area on the UN's rule, not the city's own boundary.

All the world's cities

Apparatus

Sources and method

Every figure on this page comes from the UN's World Population Prospects 2024: the annual country tables (estimates to 2023, projections with 95% intervals from 2024), and the population by single year of age and sex for the pyramid.

The censuses, surveys and registers behind the UN's estimates for China are listed, source by source, on the UN's own data sources page.

Sources: UN WPP 2024 · World Bank · UNHCR · country code lists · UN WUP 2025 · Wittgenstein Centre · WHO GHO · flag-icons · Natural Earth. Every source, its licence and how to cite it →

Checked before it was drawn

Verified 2026-09-30 · 73 canaries The pyramid for every year was checked against the published total. What that stamp counts, and what every page here has to pass before it can be built: how this site checks its figures.