Migrant stock total in China

China: Migrant stock total was 1.64 million in 2024. ▲ Rising

Latest (2024)
1.64 million
World rank
44th
of 232 countries
All-time high
1.64 million
in 2024
All-time low
518,395
in 1990
Years of data
8
1990–2024

Migrant stock total in China, 1990–2024

500.0k750.0k1.0M1.2M1.5M1.8M1990200720241990: 518.4k1995: 610.6k2000: 720.9k2005: 853.4k2010: 1.0M2015: 1.2M2020: 1.4M2024: 1.6M

Source: Our World in Data.

Analysis

The most recent figure for migrant stock total in China is 1.64 million, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 8 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 37.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, migrant stock total in China peaked at 1.64 million in 2024 and was at its lowest, 518,395, in 1990.

That places China 44th out of 232 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.

Migrant stock total in China, year by year

Annual values for Migrant stock total in China, 1990 to 2024.
Year Value Change
1990 518,395 —
1995 610,608 +17.8%
2000 720,915 +18.1%
2005 853,360 +18.4%
2010 1.01 million +18.4%
2015 1.20 million +18.4%
2020 1.42 million +18.3%
2024 1.64 million +15.8%

China compared with similar countries

  • China's 1.64 million is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 184,522, 8.9× the median. (58 countries reporting)
  • China's 1.64 million is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 51,446, 31.9× the median. (37 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 564,502 518,395 610,608 2
2000s 787,138 720,915 853,360 2
2010s 1.10 million 1.01 million 1.20 million 2
2020s 1.53 million 1.42 million 1.64 million 2

Countries ranked near China

  1. 41 South Korea 1.81 million compare
  2. 42 Poland 1.74 million compare
  3. 43 Mexico 1.73 million compare
  4. 45 Chile 1.54 million compare
  5. 46 New Zealand 1.47 million compare
  6. 47 Greece 1.42 million compare

See the full ranking of 232 places →

More population data for China

All data for China →

Frequently asked questions

What is migrant stock total in China?
Migrant stock total in China was 1.64 million in 2024, according to Our World in Data.
What is the highest migrant stock total recorded in China?
The highest recorded value was 1.64 million in 2024.
What is the lowest migrant stock total recorded in China?
The lowest recorded value was 518,395 in 1990.
How does China rank for migrant stock total?
China ranks 44th out of 232 countries with data for 2024.
Is migrant stock total rising or falling in China?
Over the last ten years it is up 37.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this China data come from?
The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Migrant stock total. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 8 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

Share, cite or embed this page

Cite this page

Migrant stock total in China. Statizoid, drawing on Our World in Data. Retrieved 12 November 2026, from https://population.statizoid.com/stat/migrant-stock-total/china/

Embed or link this data

Paste this into a page to link back to these figures. The data itself is free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data); please keep the attribution.

<a href="https://population.statizoid.com/stat/migrant-stock-total/china/">Migrant stock total in China</a> — Statizoid

About this data

Indicator
Migrant stock total
Source
Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
232 places, 1,856 data points, 1990–2024
Last refreshed