China vs Ethiopia: Urban and rural population projected to 2050
China
129.72 million people
in 2050
Ethiopia
148.85 million people
in 2050
China rank
4th
Ethiopia rank
3rd
Urban and rural population projected to 2050 over time
- China
- Ethiopia
How they compare
Ethiopia currently reports 148.85 million people against 129.72 million people in China, a difference of 19.13 million people.
That makes Ethiopia's figure about 1.1 times China's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 133 shared years of data; in 1000 it was China ahead.
China ranks 4th and Ethiopia ranks 3rd of 238 countries.
Across the 43 decades both report, China averaged higher in 42 and Ethiopia in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | Ethiopia | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1000s | 34.76 million people | 2.35 million people | 32.41 million people | China |
| 1100s | 85.67 million people | 2.35 million people | 83.31 million people | China |
| 1200s | 97.91 million people | 2.35 million people | 95.56 million people | China |
| 1300s | 75.97 million people | 2.35 million people | 73.62 million people | China |
| 1400s | 67.69 million people | 2.35 million people | 65.34 million people | China |
| 1500s | 85.33 million people | 2.35 million people | 82.98 million people | China |
| 1600s | 91.19 million people | 2.35 million people | 88.84 million people | China |
| 1700s | 93.47 million people | 2.34 million people | 91.12 million people | China |
| 1710s | 97.81 million people | 2.39 million people | 95.41 million people | China |
| 1720s | 112.33 million people | 2.44 million people | 109.89 million people | China |
| 1730s | 119.43 million people | 2.49 million people | 116.94 million people | China |
| 1740s | 134.40 million people | 2.54 million people | 131.86 million people | China |
| 1750s | 167.63 million people | 2.59 million people | 165.04 million people | China |
| 1760s | 185.23 million people | 2.64 million people | 182.59 million people | China |
| 1770s | 206.93 million people | 2.69 million people | 204.24 million people | China |
| 1780s | 259.14 million people | 2.74 million people | 256.41 million people | China |
| 1790s | 280.80 million people | 2.79 million people | 278.02 million people | China |
| 1800s | 274.49 million people | 2.83 million people | 271.66 million people | China |
| 1810s | 321.41 million people | 2.88 million people | 318.53 million people | China |
| 1820s | 331.56 million people | 2.93 million people | 328.63 million people | China |
| 1830s | 364.84 million people | 4.07 million people | 360.77 million people | China |
| 1840s | 385.73 million people | 5.21 million people | 380.52 million people | China |
| 1850s | 402.68 million people | 6.35 million people | 396.33 million people | China |
| 1860s | 395.58 million people | 7.48 million people | 388.11 million people | China |
| 1870s | 335.46 million people | 8.60 million people | 326.86 million people | China |
| 1880s | 339.18 million people | 9.72 million people | 329.46 million people | China |
| 1890s | 349.58 million people | 10.83 million people | 338.75 million people | China |
| 1900s | 372.19 million people | 11.93 million people | 360.25 million people | China |
| 1910s | 393.32 million people | 13.03 million people | 380.29 million people | China |
| 1920s | 438.57 million people | 14.11 million people | 424.46 million people | China |
| 1930s | 452.56 million people | 15.18 million people | 437.38 million people | China |
| 1940s | 476.85 million people | 16.24 million people | 460.62 million people | China |
| 1950s | 513.24 million people | 18.00 million people | 495.23 million people | China |
| 1960s | 588.40 million people | 22.20 million people | 566.20 million people | China |
| 1970s | 744.45 million people | 28.30 million people | 716.15 million people | China |
| 1980s | 810.88 million people | 35.10 million people | 775.78 million people | China |
| 1990s | 851.48 million people | 48.73 million people | 802.74 million people | China |
| 2000s | 751.47 million people | 65.07 million people | 686.40 million people | China |
| 2010s | 603.78 million people | 82.85 million people | 520.92 million people | China |
| 2020s | 479.36 million people | 101.84 million people | 377.52 million people | China |
| 2030s | 379.05 million people | 120.59 million people | 258.45 million people | China |
| 2040s | 229.42 million people | 138.67 million people | 90.75 million people | China |
| 2050s | 129.72 million people | 148.85 million people | 19.13 million people | Ethiopia |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher urban and rural population projected to 2050, China or Ethiopia?
- Ethiopia, at 148.85 million people against 129.72 million people in China as of 2050.
- What is the difference in urban and rural population projected to 2050 between China and Ethiopia?
- 19.13 million people, with Ethiopia ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and Ethiopia?
- 133 years are reported by both, from 1000 to 2050.
- How do China and Ethiopia rank globally for urban and rural population projected to 2050?
- China ranks 4th and Ethiopia ranks 3rd of 238 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- HYDE (2023); United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) β with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Urban and rural population projected to 2050. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Number of people living in rural areas, combining UN estimates and projections with modeled historical data.