Population by five year age group in China

China: Population by five year age group was 58.04 million in 2023. ▼ Falling

Latest (2023)
58.04 million
Change on year
down 11.5%
World rank
2nd
of 236 countries
All-time high
138.24 million
in 1972
All-time low
58.04 million
in 2023
Years of data
74
1950–2023

Population by five year age group in China, 1950–2023

050.0M100.0M150.0M195019862023

Source: Our World in Data.

Analysis

The most recent figure for population by five year age group in China is 58.04 million, measured in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 74 years on record.

The figure is down 11.5% on the previous year and down 35.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, population by five year age group in China peaked at 138.24 million in 1972 and was at its lowest, 58.04 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.

Population by five year age group in China, year by year

Annual values for Population by five year age group in China, 1950 to 2023.
Year Value Change
1950 77.98 million —
1951 83.18 million +6.7%
1952 88.98 million +7.0%
1953 94.75 million +6.5%
1954 99.58 million +5.1%
1955 103.78 million +4.2%
1956 106.48 million +2.6%
1957 108.51 million +1.9%
1958 109.68 million +1.1%
1959 106.52 million -2.9%
1960 98.53 million -7.5%
1961 90.01 million -8.6%
1962 87.26 million -3.1%
1963 93.86 million +7.6%
1964 104.86 million +11.7%
1965 116.11 million +10.7%
1966 127.63 million +9.9%
1967 133.89 million +4.9%
1968 133.94 million +0.0%
1969 134.17 million +0.2%
1970 135.74 million +1.2%
1971 137.09 million +1.0%
1972 138.24 million +0.8%
1973 137.40 million -0.6%
1974 133.66 million -2.7%
1975 127.88 million -4.3%
1976 120.96 million -5.4%
1977 114.03 million -5.7%
1978 107.21 million -6.0%
1979 102.14 million -4.7%
1980 99.80 million -2.3%
1981 99.70 million -0.1%
1982 102.12 million +2.4%
1983 104.91 million +2.7%
1984 106.58 million +1.6%
1985 108.75 million +2.0%
1986 111.75 million +2.8%
1987 115.10 million +3.0%
1988 118.96 million +3.4%
1989 123.32 million +3.7%
1990 127.30 million +3.2%
1991 127.57 million +0.2%
1992 122.85 million -3.7%
1993 116.83 million -4.9%
1994 110.23 million -5.6%
1995 102.32 million -7.2%
1996 96.04 million -6.1%
1997 92.47 million -3.7%
1998 89.55 million -3.2%
1999 86.98 million -2.9%
2000 85.18 million -2.1%
2001 83.82 million -1.6%
2002 82.51 million -1.6%
2003 81.54 million -1.2%
2004 81.02 million -0.6%
2005 80.52 million -0.6%
2006 80.36 million -0.2%
2007 81.03 million +0.8%
2008 82.29 million +1.5%
2009 83.93 million +2.0%
2010 85.50 million +1.9%
2011 86.74 million +1.5%
2012 88.36 million +1.9%
2013 89.77 million +1.6%
2014 90.52 million +0.8%
2015 90.75 million +0.3%
2016 90.87 million +0.1%
2017 90.72 million -0.2%
2018 88.84 million -2.1%
2019 85.37 million -3.9%
2020 80.54 million -5.7%
2021 73.86 million -8.3%
2022 65.61 million -11.2%
2023 58.04 million -11.5%

China compared with similar countries

  • China's 58.04 million is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 447,677, 129.7× the median. (58 countries reporting)
  • China's 58.04 million is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 156,933, 369.9× the median. (37 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1950s 97.94 million 77.98 million 109.68 million 10
1960s 112.03 million 87.26 million 134.17 million 10
1970s 125.44 million 102.14 million 138.24 million 10
1980s 109.10 million 99.70 million 123.32 million 10
1990s 107.21 million 86.98 million 127.57 million 10
2000s 82.22 million 80.36 million 85.18 million 10
2010s 88.74 million 85.37 million 90.87 million 10
2020s 69.51 million 58.04 million 80.54 million 4

Countries ranked near China

  1. 1 India 114.67 million compare
  2. 3 Nigeria 33.53 million compare
  3. 4 Pakistan 31.79 million compare
  4. 5 Indonesia 22.35 million compare

See the full ranking of 236 places →

More population data for China

All data for China →

Frequently asked questions

What is population by five year age group in China?
Population by five year age group in China was 58.04 million in 2023, according to Our World in Data.
What is the highest population by five year age group recorded in China?
The highest recorded value was 138.24 million in 1972.
What is the lowest population by five year age group recorded in China?
The lowest recorded value was 58.04 million in 2023.
How does China rank for population by five year age group?
China ranks 2nd out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
Is population by five year age group rising or falling in China?
Over the last ten years it is down 35.3%. 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 Population by five year age group. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Population by five year age group in China. Statizoid, drawing on Our World in Data. Retrieved 11 November 2026, from https://population.statizoid.com/stat/population-by-five-year-age-group/china/

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About this data

Indicator
Population by five year age group
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