Population aged 15-24 years in China

China: Population aged 15-24 years was 163,206 thousands in 2025. β–Ό Falling

Latest (2025)
163,206 thousands
Change on year
up 0.8%
World rank
2nd
of 230 countries
All-time high
259,022 thousands
in 1988
All-time low
154,884 thousands
in 1970
Years of data
56
1970–2025

Population aged 15-24 years in China, 1970–2025

0100.0k200.0k300.0k197019972025

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in thousands.

Analysis

In 2025, population aged 15-24 years in China stood at 163,206 thousands.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.8% on the previous year and down 13.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, population aged 15-24 years in China peaked at 259,022 thousands in 1988 and was at its lowest, 154,884 thousands, in 1970.

That places China 2nd out of 230 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 56 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 174,080 thousands 154,884 thousands 186,883 thousands 10
1980s 226,550 thousands 192,776 thousands 259,022 thousands 10
1990s 227,687 thousands 203,427 thousands 253,548 thousands 10
2000s 220,215 thousands 201,883 thousands 233,395 thousands 10
2010s 194,314 thousands 166,341 thousands 226,200 thousands 10
2020s 162,148 thousands 161,016 thousands 163,763 thousands 6

Countries ranked near China

  1. 1 India 257,080 thousands compare
  2. 3 Pakistan 50,414 thousands compare
  3. 4 Nigeria 48,808 thousands compare
  4. 5 United States 45,715 thousands compare

See the full ranking of 233 places β†’

More population data for China

All data for China β†’

Frequently asked questions

What is population aged 15-24 years in China?
Population aged 15-24 years in China was 163,206 thousands in 2025, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest population aged 15-24 years recorded in China?
The highest recorded value was 259,022 thousands in 1988.
What is the lowest population aged 15-24 years recorded in China?
The lowest recorded value was 154,884 thousands in 1970.
How does China rank for population aged 15-24 years?
China ranks 2nd out of 230 countries with data for 2025.
Is population aged 15-24 years rising or falling in China?
Over the last ten years it is down 13.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this China data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Population aged 15-24 years (thousands). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Population aged 15-24 years in China. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 16 August 2026, from https://population.statizoid.com/stat/population-aged-15-24-years-thousands/china/

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About this data

Indicator
Population aged 15-24 years (thousands)
Unit
thousands
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
233 places, 12,820 data points, 1970–2025
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release