Population growth in China
China: Population growth was -0.1% in 2024. β Volatile
Population growth in China, 1970β2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in annual %.
Analysis
China recorded -0.1% for population growth in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 55 years on record.
That represents a change of down 18.6% on the previous year and down 119.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population growth in China peaked at 2.8% in 1970 and was at its lowest, -0.1%, in 2024.
China ranks 184th of 212 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 2.0% | 1.3% | 2.8% | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.4% | 1.3% | 1.6% | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.1% | 0.9% | 1.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.6% | 0.5% | 0.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.6% | 0.4% | 0.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.0% | -0.1% | 0.2% | 5 |
Countries ranked near China
More population data for China
- Population growth rate by level of development -1.68 (2100)
- Projected population under age 5 15.54 million (2100)
- Population density 67.46 (2100)
- Population growth rate -1.68 (2100)
- Fertility and wanted fertility 1.01 (2024)
- Refugee population by country or territory of asylum 303,405 (2020)
- Fertility vs unmet contraception 1.01 (2024)
- Fertility vs contraception 1.01 (2024)
- Natural population growth -0.1957 (2023)
- Fertility rate with projections 0.999 (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population growth in China?
- Population growth in China was -0.1% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest population growth recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 2.8% in 1970.
- What is the lowest population growth recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was -0.1% in 2024.
- How does China rank for population growth?
- China ranks 184th out of 212 countries with data for 2024.
- Is population growth rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is down 119.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this China data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Population growth (annual %). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV Β· JSON β 55 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release