Population growth rate in China
China: Population growth rate was -0.2% in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Population growth rate in China, 1950–2023
Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for population growth rate in China is -0.2%, measured in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 74 years on record.
That represents a change of down 82.9% on the previous year and down 136.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population growth rate in China peaked at 3.3% in 1963 and was at its lowest, -0.2%, in 2023.
That places China 195th out of 236 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Population growth rate in China, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 1.8% | — |
| 1951 | 1.8% | -1.7% |
| 1952 | 2.3% | +31.3% |
| 1953 | 2.0% | -11.2% |
| 1954 | 2.3% | +10.0% |
| 1955 | 2.2% | -0.1% |
| 1956 | 2.0% | -10.3% |
| 1957 | 2.4% | +19.0% |
| 1958 | 2.0% | -18.8% |
| 1959 | 0.7% | -65.5% |
| 1960 | -0.0% | -104.7% |
| 1961 | 0.3% | -1128.1% |
| 1962 | 2.5% | +651.7% |
| 1963 | 3.3% | +33.0% |
| 1964 | 2.6% | -22.4% |
| 1965 | 2.7% | +4.4% |
| 1966 | 2.5% | -5.3% |
| 1967 | 2.4% | -3.4% |
| 1968 | 2.7% | +12.7% |
| 1969 | 2.6% | -5.4% |
| 1970 | 2.6% | +0.7% |
| 1971 | 2.4% | -9.3% |
| 1972 | 2.2% | -6.1% |
| 1973 | 2.1% | -5.3% |
| 1974 | 1.9% | -11.0% |
| 1975 | 1.6% | -14.1% |
| 1976 | 1.5% | -8.0% |
| 1977 | 1.3% | -9.9% |
| 1978 | 1.3% | -0.8% |
| 1979 | 1.4% | +6.1% |
| 1980 | 1.4% | +2.5% |
| 1981 | 1.5% | +4.2% |
| 1982 | 1.7% | +10.3% |
| 1983 | 1.4% | -16.6% |
| 1984 | 1.5% | +6.9% |
| 1985 | 1.6% | +5.8% |
| 1986 | 1.7% | +9.0% |
| 1987 | 1.8% | +5.5% |
| 1988 | 1.6% | -8.0% |
| 1989 | 1.7% | +2.1% |
| 1990 | 1.7% | +3.4% |
| 1991 | 1.2% | -29.8% |
| 1992 | 1.1% | -8.5% |
| 1993 | 1.0% | -8.8% |
| 1994 | 0.9% | -9.4% |
| 1995 | 0.9% | -1.6% |
| 1996 | 0.9% | -5.8% |
| 1997 | 0.8% | -7.2% |
| 1998 | 0.8% | -3.8% |
| 1999 | 0.7% | -5.5% |
| 2000 | 0.8% | +6.0% |
| 2001 | 0.7% | -12.3% |
| 2002 | 0.6% | -10.7% |
| 2003 | 0.6% | -2.0% |
| 2004 | 0.6% | -1.0% |
| 2005 | 0.6% | +8.8% |
| 2006 | 0.6% | -6.8% |
| 2007 | 0.6% | -0.7% |
| 2008 | 0.6% | +6.0% |
| 2009 | 0.7% | +9.8% |
| 2010 | 0.7% | -2.9% |
| 2011 | 0.6% | -6.2% |
| 2012 | 0.7% | +19.0% |
| 2013 | 0.6% | -12.9% |
| 2014 | 0.7% | +1.1% |
| 2015 | 0.5% | -19.1% |
| 2016 | 0.6% | +15.0% |
| 2017 | 0.6% | -5.0% |
| 2018 | 0.4% | -36.3% |
| 2019 | 0.3% | -26.5% |
| 2020 | 0.1% | -65.1% |
| 2021 | -0.0% | -151.1% |
| 2022 | -0.1% | +168.8% |
| 2023 | -0.2% | +82.9% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's -0.2% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 0.6%. (58 countries reporting)
- China's -0.2% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 0.7%. (37 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Population growth rate in China changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1961 | +1128.1% | -0.0% | 0.3% |
| 1962 | +651.7% | 0.3% | 2.5% |
| 2022 | -168.8% | -0.0% | -0.1% |
| 2021 | -151.1% | 0.1% | -0.0% |
| 1960 | -104.7% | 0.7% | -0.0% |
| 2023 | -82.9% | -0.1% | -0.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 1.9% | 0.7% | 2.4% | 10 |
| 1960s | 2.2% | -0.0% | 3.3% | 10 |
| 1970s | 1.8% | 1.3% | 2.6% | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.6% | 1.4% | 1.8% | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.0% | 0.7% | 1.7% | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.6% | 0.6% | 0.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.6% | 0.3% | 0.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | -0.1% | -0.2% | 0.1% | 4 |
Countries ranked near China
More population data for China
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -1.19 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population long run 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 regions with projections, annual growth rate -1.66 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate, by level of development -1.7% (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 15.54 million people (2100)
- Population density 67.46 people per km² (2100)
- World population growth -1.7% (2100)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.3489 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population -0.1671 Percent per annum (2030)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population growth rate in China?
- Population growth rate in China was -0.2% in 2023, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest population growth rate recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 3.3% in 1963.
- What is the lowest population growth rate recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was -0.2% in 2023.
- How does China rank for population growth rate?
- China ranks 195th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is population growth rate rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is down 136.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this China data come from?
- The figures come from UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Population growth rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Annual rate at which the population is growing, expressed as a percentage.