Number of births per year in China

China: Number of births per year was 8.90 million in 2023. β–Ό Falling

Latest (2023)
8.90 million
Change on year
down 5.9%
World rank
2nd
of 236 countries
All-time high
33.46 million
in 1963
All-time low
8.90 million
in 2023
Years of data
74
1950–2023

Number of births per year in China, 1950–2023

10.0M15.0M20.0M25.0M30.0M35.0M195019862023

Source: Our World in Data.

Analysis

China recorded 8.90 million for number of births per year in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 74 years on record.

The figure is down 5.9% on the previous year and down 51.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, number of births per year in China peaked at 33.46 million in 1963 and was at its lowest, 8.90 million, in 2023.

China ranks 2nd of 236 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 74 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1950s 24.13 million 20.31 million 27.07 million 10
1960s 27.59 million 16.88 million 33.46 million 10
1970s 24.98 million 20.25 million 31.46 million 10
1980s 24.45 million 21.67 million 27.56 million 10
1990s 20.06 million 16.86 million 28.08 million 10
2000s 16.96 million 16.22 million 18.03 million 10
2010s 17.61 million 14.62 million 19.25 million 10
2020s 10.16 million 8.90 million 11.84 million 4

Countries ranked near China

  1. 1 India 23.22 million compare
  2. 3 Nigeria 7.51 million compare
  3. 4 Pakistan 6.88 million compare
  4. 5 Indonesia 4.48 million compare

See the full ranking of 236 places β†’

More population data for China

All data for China β†’

Frequently asked questions

What is number of births per year in China?
Number of births per year in China was 8.90 million in 2023, according to Our World in Data.
What is the highest number of births per year recorded in China?
The highest recorded value was 33.46 million in 1963.
What is the lowest number of births per year recorded in China?
The lowest recorded value was 8.90 million in 2023.
How does China rank for number of births per year?
China ranks 2nd out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
Is number of births per year rising or falling in China?
Over the last ten years it is down 51.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this China data come from?
The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Number of births per year. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Number of births per year in China. Statizoid, drawing on Our World in Data. Retrieved 16 August 2026, from https://population.statizoid.com/stat/number-of-births-per-year/china/

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About this data

Indicator
Number of births per year
Source
Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
236 places, 17,464 data points, 1950–2023
Last refreshed