Annual growth rate of population share in cities with at least 300,000 inhabitants in China
China: Annual growth rate of population share in cities with at least 300,000 inhabitants was 1.7% in 2020. ◆ Volatile
Annual growth rate of population share in cities with at least 300,000 inhabitants in China, 1955–2020
Source: European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
China recorded 1.7% for annual growth rate of population share in cities with at least 300,000 inhabitants in 2020.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 102.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual growth rate of population share in cities with at least 300,000 inhabitants in China peaked at 6.0% in 2000 and was at its lowest, -0.5%, in 1970.
China ranks 21st of 144 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Annual growth rate of population share in cities with at least 300,000 inhabitants in China, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1955 | 2.5% | — |
| 1960 | 2.0% | -16.8% |
| 1965 | 0.8% | -60.5% |
| 1970 | -0.5% | -157.5% |
| 1975 | -0.1% | -88.9% |
| 1980 | 2.3% | -4504.1% |
| 1985 | 1.7% | -23.6% |
| 1990 | 2.0% | +17.8% |
| 1995 | 4.2% | +104.4% |
| 2000 | 6.0% | +44.4% |
| 2005 | 1.4% | -76.7% |
| 2010 | 0.9% | -38.7% |
| 2015 | 1.5% | +71.9% |
| 2020 | 1.7% | +18.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 2.5% | 2.5% | 2.5% | 1 |
| 1960s | 1.4% | 0.8% | 2.0% | 2 |
| 1970s | -0.3% | -0.5% | -0.1% | 2 |
| 1980s | 2.0% | 1.7% | 2.3% | 2 |
| 1990s | 3.1% | 2.0% | 4.2% | 2 |
| 2000s | 3.7% | 1.4% | 6.0% | 2 |
| 2010s | 1.2% | 0.9% | 1.5% | 2 |
| 2020s | 1.7% | 1.7% | 1.7% | 1 |
Countries ranked near China
More population data for China
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate -1.66 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -12.97 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate -1.66 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -1.19 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 1.31 million Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population -0.1671 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.3489 % change on previous year (2100)
- World population growth -1.7% (2100)
- Population density 67.46 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 15.54 million people (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is annual growth rate of population share in cities with at least 300,000 inhabitants in China?
- Annual growth rate of population share in cities with at least 300,000 inhabitants in China was 1.7% in 2020, according to European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest annual growth rate of population share in cities with at least 300,000 inhabitants recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 6.0% in 2000.
- What is the lowest annual growth rate of population share in cities with at least 300,000 inhabitants recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was -0.5% in 1970.
- How does China rank for annual growth rate of population share in cities with at least 300,000 inhabitants?
- China ranks 21st out of 144 countries with data for 2020.
- Is annual growth rate of population share in cities with at least 300,000 inhabitants rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is up 102.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this China data come from?
- The figures come from European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Annual growth rate of population share in cities with at least 300,000 inhabitants. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 14 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Average annual growth in the share of population living in cities with at least 300,000 people, calculated over five-year periods. For example, 2020 reflects average growth between 2015–2020. City boundaries are defined using a consistent global approach based on satellite imagery and population data.