Population aged 15-24 years (thousands) in China
China: Population aged 15-24 years (thousands) was 163,206 thousands in 2025. ▼ Falling
Latest (2025)
163,206 thousands
Change on year
up 0.8%
World rank
2nd
of 233 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
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 233 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.
Population aged 15-24 years (thousands) in China, year by year
| Year | thousands | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 154,884 thousands | — |
| 1971 | 163,132 thousands | +5.3% |
| 1972 | 169,389 thousands | +3.8% |
| 1973 | 176,785 thousands | +4.4% |
| 1974 | 180,479 thousands | +2.1% |
| 1975 | 180,176 thousands | -0.2% |
| 1976 | 177,595 thousands | -1.4% |
| 1977 | 174,231 thousands | -1.9% |
| 1978 | 177,251 thousands | +1.7% |
| 1979 | 186,883 thousands | +5.4% |
| 1980 | 192,776 thousands | +3.2% |
| 1981 | 198,560 thousands | +3.0% |
| 1982 | 204,820 thousands | +3.2% |
| 1983 | 207,982 thousands | +1.5% |
| 1984 | 217,523 thousands | +4.6% |
| 1985 | 229,887 thousands | +5.7% |
| 1986 | 243,207 thousands | +5.8% |
| 1987 | 255,907 thousands | +5.2% |
| 1988 | 259,022 thousands | +1.2% |
| 1989 | 255,813 thousands | -1.2% |
| 1990 | 253,548 thousands | -0.9% |
| 1991 | 249,082 thousands | -1.8% |
| 1992 | 244,145 thousands | -2.0% |
| 1993 | 239,209 thousands | -2.0% |
| 1994 | 230,514 thousands | -3.6% |
| 1995 | 223,073 thousands | -3.2% |
| 1996 | 215,645 thousands | -3.3% |
| 1997 | 210,442 thousands | -2.4% |
| 1998 | 207,784 thousands | -1.3% |
| 1999 | 203,427 thousands | -2.1% |
| 2000 | 201,883 thousands | -0.8% |
| 2001 | 203,608 thousands | +0.9% |
| 2002 | 207,946 thousands | +2.1% |
| 2003 | 214,956 thousands | +3.4% |
| 2004 | 220,977 thousands | +2.8% |
| 2005 | 226,823 thousands | +2.6% |
| 2006 | 233,156 thousands | +2.8% |
| 2007 | 233,395 thousands | +0.1% |
| 2008 | 230,348 thousands | -1.3% |
| 2009 | 229,054 thousands | -0.6% |
| 2010 | 226,200 thousands | -1.2% |
| 2011 | 221,734 thousands | -2.0% |
| 2012 | 214,787 thousands | -3.1% |
| 2013 | 205,974 thousands | -4.1% |
| 2014 | 197,711 thousands | -4.0% |
| 2015 | 188,357 thousands | -4.7% |
| 2016 | 178,809 thousands | -5.1% |
| 2017 | 173,582 thousands | -2.9% |
| 2018 | 169,646 thousands | -2.3% |
| 2019 | 166,341 thousands | -1.9% |
| 2020 | 163,763 thousands | -1.5% |
| 2021 | 161,993 thousands | -1.1% |
| 2022 | 161,032 thousands | -0.6% |
| 2023 | 161,016 thousands | -0.0% |
| 2024 | 161,877 thousands | +0.5% |
| 2025 | 163,206 thousands | +0.8% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 163,206 thousands is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 997.95 thousands, 163.5× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- China's 163,206 thousands is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 305.44 thousands, 534.3× the median. (37 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | 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
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 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 233 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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About this data
February 2026 Data Release