Population in China
China: Population was 1.42 billion people in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
1.42 billion people
Change on year
down 0.2%
World rank
2nd
of 236 countries
All-time high
1.43 billion people
in 2021
All-time low
544.04 million people
in 1950
Years of data
74
1950–2023
Population in China, 1950–2023
Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in people.
Analysis
The most recent figure for population in China is 1.42 billion people, measured in 2023.
The figure 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.
That places China 2nd out of 236 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 74 years of available data.
Population in China, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 544.04 million people | — |
| 1951 | 553.76 million people | +1.8% |
| 1952 | 565.13 million people | +2.1% |
| 1953 | 577.56 million people | +2.2% |
| 1954 | 590.11 million people | +2.2% |
| 1955 | 603.55 million people | +2.3% |
| 1956 | 616.56 million people | +2.2% |
| 1957 | 630.36 million people | +2.2% |
| 1958 | 644.22 million people | +2.2% |
| 1959 | 652.71 million people | +1.3% |
| 1960 | 654.80 million people | +0.3% |
| 1961 | 655.77 million people | +0.1% |
| 1962 | 665.07 million people | +1.4% |
| 1963 | 684.55 million people | +2.9% |
| 1964 | 704.80 million people | +3.0% |
| 1965 | 723.42 million people | +2.6% |
| 1966 | 742.40 million people | +2.6% |
| 1967 | 761.03 million people | +2.5% |
| 1968 | 781.01 million people | +2.6% |
| 1969 | 802.14 million people | +2.7% |
| 1970 | 823.31 million people | +2.6% |
| 1971 | 844.07 million people | +2.5% |
| 1972 | 863.68 million people | +2.3% |
| 1973 | 882.58 million people | +2.2% |
| 1974 | 900.31 million people | +2.0% |
| 1975 | 916.12 million people | +1.8% |
| 1976 | 930.37 million people | +1.6% |
| 1977 | 943.55 million people | +1.4% |
| 1978 | 956.16 million people | +1.3% |
| 1979 | 969.29 million people | +1.4% |
| 1980 | 983.16 million people | +1.4% |
| 1981 | 997.72 million people | +1.5% |
| 1982 | 1.01 billion people | +1.6% |
| 1983 | 1.03 billion people | +1.5% |
| 1984 | 1.04 billion people | +1.4% |
| 1985 | 1.06 billion people | +1.5% |
| 1986 | 1.08 billion people | +1.6% |
| 1987 | 1.10 billion people | +1.8% |
| 1988 | 1.12 billion people | +1.7% |
| 1989 | 1.13 billion people | +1.7% |
| 1990 | 1.15 billion people | +1.7% |
| 1991 | 1.17 billion people | +1.5% |
| 1992 | 1.18 billion people | +1.2% |
| 1993 | 1.20 billion people | +1.1% |
| 1994 | 1.21 billion people | +1.0% |
| 1995 | 1.22 billion people | +0.9% |
| 1996 | 1.23 billion people | +0.9% |
| 1997 | 1.24 billion people | +0.8% |
| 1998 | 1.25 billion people | +0.8% |
| 1999 | 1.26 billion people | +0.7% |
| 2000 | 1.27 billion people | +0.7% |
| 2001 | 1.28 billion people | +0.7% |
| 2002 | 1.29 billion people | +0.6% |
| 2003 | 1.29 billion people | +0.6% |
| 2004 | 1.30 billion people | +0.6% |
| 2005 | 1.31 billion people | +0.6% |
| 2006 | 1.32 billion people | +0.6% |
| 2007 | 1.33 billion people | +0.6% |
| 2008 | 1.33 billion people | +0.6% |
| 2009 | 1.34 billion people | +0.7% |
| 2010 | 1.35 billion people | +0.7% |
| 2011 | 1.36 billion people | +0.6% |
| 2012 | 1.37 billion people | +0.7% |
| 2013 | 1.38 billion people | +0.7% |
| 2014 | 1.39 billion people | +0.6% |
| 2015 | 1.40 billion people | +0.6% |
| 2016 | 1.40 billion people | +0.6% |
| 2017 | 1.41 billion people | +0.6% |
| 2018 | 1.42 billion people | +0.5% |
| 2019 | 1.42 billion people | +0.3% |
| 2020 | 1.43 billion people | +0.2% |
| 2021 | 1.43 billion people | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 1.43 billion people | -0.1% |
| 2023 | 1.42 billion people | -0.2% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 1.42 billion people is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 6.81 million people, 208.9× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- China's 1.42 billion people is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 1.38 million people, 1027.7× the median. (37 countries reporting)
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
- 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 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
Total population, measured on 1 July of the year shown.