Urban and rural population 2050, per square kilometre in China
China: Urban and rural population 2050, per square kilometre was 52.23 units per square kilometre in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
52.23 units per square kilometre
Change on year
down 1.1%
World rank
63rd
of 215 countries
All-time high
92.22 units per square kilometre
in 1995
All-time low
52.23 units per square kilometre
in 2023
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Urban and rural population 2050, per square kilometre in China, 1961–2023
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in units per square kilometre.
Analysis
The most recent figure for urban and rural population 2050, per square kilometre in China is 52.23 units per square kilometre, measured in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 63 years on record.
The figure is down 1.1% on the previous year and down 21.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, urban and rural population 2050, per square kilometre in China peaked at 92.22 units per square kilometre in 1995 and was at its lowest, 52.23 units per square kilometre, in 2023.
China ranks 63rd of 215 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 63 years of available data.
Urban and rural population 2050, per square kilometre in China, year by year
| Year | units per square kilometre | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 56.37 units per square kilometre | — |
| 1962 | 58.57 units per square kilometre | +3.9% |
| 1963 | 60.64 units per square kilometre | +3.5% |
| 1964 | 61.33 units per square kilometre | +1.1% |
| 1965 | 63.2 units per square kilometre | +3.0% |
| 1966 | 64.95 units per square kilometre | +2.8% |
| 1967 | 66.68 units per square kilometre | +2.7% |
| 1968 | 68.53 units per square kilometre | +2.8% |
| 1969 | 70.49 units per square kilometre | +2.9% |
| 1970 | 72.45 units per square kilometre | +2.8% |
| 1971 | 74.39 units per square kilometre | +2.7% |
| 1972 | 76.24 units per square kilometre | +2.5% |
| 1973 | 77.84 units per square kilometre | +2.1% |
| 1974 | 79.44 units per square kilometre | +2.1% |
| 1975 | 80.66 units per square kilometre | +1.5% |
| 1976 | 81.82 units per square kilometre | +1.4% |
| 1977 | 82.86 units per square kilometre | +1.3% |
| 1978 | 83.6 units per square kilometre | +0.9% |
| 1979 | 83.67 units per square kilometre | +0.1% |
| 1980 | 84.42 units per square kilometre | +0.9% |
| 1981 | 84.85 units per square kilometre | +0.5% |
| 1982 | 85.76 units per square kilometre | +1.1% |
| 1983 | 85.91 units per square kilometre | +0.2% |
| 1984 | 85.6 units per square kilometre | -0.4% |
| 1985 | 86.12 units per square kilometre | +0.6% |
| 1986 | 86.6 units per square kilometre | +0.6% |
| 1987 | 87.2 units per square kilometre | +0.7% |
| 1988 | 88.13 units per square kilometre | +1.1% |
| 1989 | 89.13 units per square kilometre | +1.1% |
| 1990 | 90.69 units per square kilometre | +1.7% |
| 1991 | 91.11 units per square kilometre | +0.5% |
| 1992 | 91.53 units per square kilometre | +0.5% |
| 1993 | 91.84 units per square kilometre | +0.3% |
| 1994 | 92.06 units per square kilometre | +0.2% |
| 1995 | 92.22 units per square kilometre | +0.2% |
| 1996 | 91.15 units per square kilometre | -1.2% |
| 1997 | 90.02 units per square kilometre | -1.2% |
| 1998 | 88.8 units per square kilometre | -1.3% |
| 1999 | 87.54 units per square kilometre | -1.4% |
| 2000 | 85.96 units per square kilometre | -1.8% |
| 2001 | 84.91 units per square kilometre | -1.2% |
| 2002 | 83.49 units per square kilometre | -1.7% |
| 2003 | 82 units per square kilometre | -1.8% |
| 2004 | 80.78 units per square kilometre | -1.5% |
| 2005 | 79.55 units per square kilometre | -1.5% |
| 2006 | 78.14 units per square kilometre | -1.8% |
| 2007 | 76.42 units per square kilometre | -2.2% |
| 2008 | 75.31 units per square kilometre | -1.4% |
| 2009 | 73.87 units per square kilometre | -1.9% |
| 2010 | 73.08 units per square kilometre | -1.1% |
| 2011 | 69.79 units per square kilometre | -4.5% |
| 2012 | 68.42 units per square kilometre | -2.0% |
| 2013 | 66.85 units per square kilometre | -2.3% |
| 2014 | 65.42 units per square kilometre | -2.1% |
| 2015 | 63.46 units per square kilometre | -3.0% |
| 2016 | 61.56 units per square kilometre | -3.0% |
| 2017 | 59.81 units per square kilometre | -2.8% |
| 2018 | 58.19 units per square kilometre | -2.7% |
| 2019 | 56.54 units per square kilometre | -2.8% |
| 2020 | 55.41 units per square kilometre | -2.0% |
| 2021 | 53.6 units per square kilometre | -3.3% |
| 2022 | 52.8 units per square kilometre | -1.5% |
| 2023 | 52.23 units per square kilometre | -1.1% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 52.23 units per square kilometre is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 27.05 units per square kilometre, 1.9× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- China's 52.23 units per square kilometre is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 27.01 units per square kilometre, 1.9× the median. (37 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 63.42 units per square kilometre | 56.37 units per square kilometre | 70.49 units per square kilometre | 9 |
| 1970s | 79.3 units per square kilometre | 72.45 units per square kilometre | 83.67 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1980s | 86.37 units per square kilometre | 84.42 units per square kilometre | 89.13 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1990s | 90.7 units per square kilometre | 87.54 units per square kilometre | 92.22 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2000s | 80.04 units per square kilometre | 73.87 units per square kilometre | 85.96 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2010s | 64.31 units per square kilometre | 56.54 units per square kilometre | 73.08 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2020s | 53.51 units per square kilometre | 52.23 units per square kilometre | 55.41 units per square kilometre | 4 |
Countries ranked near China
- 60 Slovakia 53.72 units per square kilometre compare
- 61 Moldova 53.09 units per square kilometre compare
- 62 Eswatini 53.08 units per square kilometre compare
- 64 Azerbaijan 51.8 units per square kilometre compare
- 65 Poland 50.77 units per square kilometre compare
- 66 Tanzania 48.53 units per square kilometre compare
More population data for China
- Population regions 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 long run with projections, annual growth rate -1.66 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -1.19 % change on previous year (2100)
- 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)
- World population growth -1.7% (2100)
- Population density 67.46 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 15.54 million people (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is urban and rural population 2050, per square kilometre in China?
- Urban and rural population 2050, per square kilometre in China was 52.23 units per square kilometre in 2023, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest urban and rural population 2050, per square kilometre recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 92.22 units per square kilometre in 1995.
- What is the lowest urban and rural population 2050, per square kilometre recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 52.23 units per square kilometre in 2023.
- How does China rank for urban and rural population 2050, per square kilometre?
- China ranks 63rd out of 215 countries with data for 2023.
- Is urban and rural population 2050, per square kilometre rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is down 21.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this China data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Urban and rural population 2050, per square kilometre. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 63 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
Urban and rural population 2050 divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.
Urban and rural population 2050 ÷ Land area (sq. km)
Computed from
- Urban and rural population projected to 2050 HYDE (2023); United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
- Land area FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
Urban and rural population 2050 divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.