Rural population in China (People’s Republic of)
China (People’s Republic of): Rural population was 34.5% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Rural population in China (People’s Republic of), 1970–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in % of total population.
Analysis
The most recent figure for rural population in China (People’s Republic of) is 34.5%, measured in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 55 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.7% on the previous year and down 24.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, rural population in China (People’s Republic of) peaked at 82.8% in 1972 and was at its lowest, 34.5%, in 2024.
That places China (People’s Republic of) 111th out of 214 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 55 years of available data.
Rural population in China (People’s Republic of), year by year
| Year | % of total population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 82.6% | — |
| 1971 | 82.7% | +0.1% |
| 1972 | 82.8% | +0.1% |
| 1973 | 82.8% | +0.0% |
| 1974 | 82.7% | -0.1% |
| 1975 | 82.6% | -0.1% |
| 1976 | 82.5% | -0.1% |
| 1977 | 82.5% | -0.1% |
| 1978 | 82.1% | -0.5% |
| 1979 | 81.4% | -0.9% |
| 1980 | 80.6% | -0.9% |
| 1981 | 79.9% | -0.9% |
| 1982 | 79.1% | -1.0% |
| 1983 | 78.5% | -0.8% |
| 1984 | 77.8% | -0.8% |
| 1985 | 77.1% | -0.9% |
| 1986 | 76.4% | -0.9% |
| 1987 | 75.7% | -0.9% |
| 1988 | 75.0% | -0.9% |
| 1989 | 74.3% | -1.0% |
| 1990 | 73.6% | -1.0% |
| 1991 | 72.7% | -1.2% |
| 1992 | 71.8% | -1.2% |
| 1993 | 70.9% | -1.3% |
| 1994 | 70.0% | -1.3% |
| 1995 | 69.0% | -1.3% |
| 1996 | 68.1% | -1.4% |
| 1997 | 67.1% | -1.4% |
| 1998 | 66.1% | -1.5% |
| 1999 | 65.1% | -1.5% |
| 2000 | 64.1% | -1.6% |
| 2001 | 62.9% | -1.9% |
| 2002 | 61.6% | -2.1% |
| 2003 | 60.2% | -2.2% |
| 2004 | 58.9% | -2.3% |
| 2005 | 57.5% | -2.3% |
| 2006 | 56.1% | -2.3% |
| 2007 | 54.8% | -2.4% |
| 2008 | 53.5% | -2.4% |
| 2009 | 52.1% | -2.5% |
| 2010 | 50.8% | -2.6% |
| 2011 | 49.5% | -2.5% |
| 2012 | 48.2% | -2.5% |
| 2013 | 47.0% | -2.6% |
| 2014 | 45.7% | -2.7% |
| 2015 | 44.5% | -2.7% |
| 2016 | 43.3% | -2.8% |
| 2017 | 42.0% | -2.8% |
| 2018 | 40.8% | -2.8% |
| 2019 | 39.7% | -2.8% |
| 2020 | 38.6% | -2.8% |
| 2021 | 37.5% | -2.8% |
| 2022 | 36.4% | -2.8% |
| 2023 | 35.4% | -2.8% |
| 2024 | 34.5% | -2.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 82.5% | 81.4% | 82.8% | 10 |
| 1980s | 77.5% | 74.3% | 80.6% | 10 |
| 1990s | 69.4% | 65.1% | 73.6% | 10 |
| 2000s | 58.2% | 52.1% | 64.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 45.2% | 39.7% | 50.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 36.5% | 34.5% | 38.6% | 5 |
Countries ranked near China (People’s Republic of)
More population data for China (People’s Republic of)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 1.31 million Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population -0.1671 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.3489 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate -1.68 (2100)
- Population density 67.46 (2100)
- Projected population under age 5 15.54 million (2100)
- Population growth rate by level of development -1.68 (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates -0.1664 % change on previous year (2030)
- Fertility and wanted fertility, annual growth rate 1.4 % change on previous year (2024)
- Refugee population by country or territory of asylum, gaps filled 303,405 (2020)
Frequently asked questions
- What is rural population in China (People’s Republic of)?
- Rural population in China (People’s Republic of) was 34.5% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest rural population recorded in China (People’s Republic of)?
- The highest recorded value was 82.8% in 1972.
- What is the lowest rural population recorded in China (People’s Republic of)?
- The lowest recorded value was 34.5% in 2024.
- How does China (People’s Republic of) rank for rural population?
- China (People’s Republic of) ranks 111th out of 214 countries with data for 2024.
- Is rural population rising or falling in China (People’s Republic of)?
- Over the last ten years it is down 24.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this China (People’s Republic of) data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Rural population (% of total population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 55 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release