Population in China
China: Population was 1.42 billion people in 2023. ▲ Rising
Population in China, 1950–2023
Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in people.
Analysis
In 2023, population in China stood at 1.42 billion people.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.2% on the previous year and up 3.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population in China peaked at 1.43 billion people in 2021 and was at its lowest, 544.04 million people, in 1950.
China ranks 2nd of 236 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 74 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 597.80 million people | 544.04 million people | 652.71 million people | 10 |
| 1960s | 717.50 million people | 654.80 million people | 802.14 million people | 10 |
| 1970s | 902.94 million people | 823.31 million people | 969.29 million people | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.05 billion people | 983.16 million people | 1.13 billion people | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.21 billion people | 1.15 billion people | 1.26 billion people | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.31 billion people | 1.27 billion people | 1.34 billion people | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.39 billion people | 1.35 billion people | 1.42 billion people | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.43 billion people | 1.42 billion people | 1.43 billion people | 4 |
Countries ranked near China
More population data for China
- 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)
- Total fertility rate vs. wanted fertility rate 1.01 births per woman (2024)
- Refugees by country of asylum 303,405 people (2020)
- Fertility rate vs. unmet need for contraception 1.01 births per woman (2024)
- Total fertility rate vs. contraceptive prevalence 1.01 births per woman (2024)
- Natural population growth rate -0.2% (2023)
- Fertility rate: births per woman 0.999 live births per woman (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population in China?
- Population in China was 1.42 billion people in 2023, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest population recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 1.43 billion people in 2021.
- What is the lowest population recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 544.04 million people in 1950.
- How does China rank for population?
- China ranks 2nd out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is population rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- 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. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 74 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
The total population, measured on 1 July of the year shown.