Share of urban population who live in the largest city in China
China: Share of urban population who live in the largest city was 2.3% in 2020. ▲ Rising
Share of urban population who live in the largest city in China, 1950–2020
Source: European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for share of urban population who live in the largest city in China is 2.3%, measured in 2020. That is the highest value across all 15 years on record.
That represents a change of up 7.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of urban population who live in the largest city in China peaked at 2.3% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 0.8%, in 1980.
China ranks 179th of 179 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 15 years of available data.
Share of urban population who live in the largest city in China, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 0.9% | — |
| 1955 | 1.0% | +8.8% |
| 1960 | 1.0% | +4.8% |
| 1965 | 0.9% | -9.0% |
| 1970 | 0.8% | -13.3% |
| 1975 | 0.8% | -4.8% |
| 1980 | 0.8% | -0.6% |
| 1985 | 0.8% | +2.5% |
| 1990 | 0.9% | +11.1% |
| 1995 | 1.1% | +25.9% |
| 2000 | 1.8% | +70.1% |
| 2005 | 2.1% | +12.9% |
| 2010 | 2.2% | +4.4% |
| 2015 | 2.2% | +0.7% |
| 2020 | 2.3% | +6.6% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 2.3% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 25.9%, 9% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- China's 2.3% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 28.2%, 8% of the median. (23 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Share of urban population who live in the largest city 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | +70.1% | 1.1% | 1.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 0.9% | 0.9% | 1.0% | 2 |
| 1960s | 1.0% | 0.9% | 1.0% | 2 |
| 1970s | 0.8% | 0.8% | 0.8% | 2 |
| 1980s | 0.8% | 0.8% | 0.8% | 2 |
| 1990s | 1.0% | 0.9% | 1.1% | 2 |
| 2000s | 2.0% | 1.8% | 2.1% | 2 |
| 2010s | 2.2% | 2.2% | 2.2% | 2 |
| 2020s | 2.3% | 2.3% | 2.3% | 1 |
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 share of urban population who live in the largest city in China?
- Share of urban population who live in the largest city in China was 2.3% in 2020, according to European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of urban population who live in the largest city recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 2.3% in 2020.
- What is the lowest share of urban population who live in the largest city recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.8% in 1980.
- How does China rank for share of urban population who live in the largest city?
- China ranks 179th out of 179 countries with data for 2020.
- Is share of urban population who live in the largest city rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is up 7.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this China data come from?
- The figures come from European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of urban population who live in the largest city. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Percentage of the urban population living in the country's largest city (by population). City boundaries are defined using a consistent global approach based on satellite imagery and population data.