Urban and rural population projected to 2050 in China
China: Urban and rural population projected to 2050 was 129.72 million people in 2050. ▲ Rising
Latest (2050)
129.72 million people
Change on year
down 13.0%
World rank
4th
of 238 countries
All-time high
865.80 million people
in 1995
All-time low
34.76 million people
in 1000
Years of data
133
1000–2050
Urban and rural population projected to 2050 in China, 1000–2050
Source: HYDE (2023); United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in people.
Analysis
China recorded 129.72 million people for urban and rural population projected to 2050 in 2050.
The figure is down 13.0% on the previous year and down 57.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, urban and rural population projected to 2050 in China peaked at 865.80 million people in 1995 and was at its lowest, 34.76 million people, in 1000.
China ranks 4th of 238 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 133 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1000s | 34.76 million people | 34.76 million people | 34.76 million people | 1 |
| 1100s | 85.67 million people | 85.67 million people | 85.67 million people | 1 |
| 1200s | 97.91 million people | 97.91 million people | 97.91 million people | 1 |
| 1300s | 75.97 million people | 75.97 million people | 75.97 million people | 1 |
| 1400s | 67.69 million people | 67.69 million people | 67.69 million people | 1 |
| 1500s | 85.33 million people | 85.33 million people | 85.33 million people | 1 |
| 1600s | 91.19 million people | 91.19 million people | 91.19 million people | 1 |
| 1700s | 93.47 million people | 93.47 million people | 93.47 million people | 1 |
| 1710s | 97.81 million people | 97.81 million people | 97.81 million people | 1 |
| 1720s | 112.33 million people | 112.33 million people | 112.33 million people | 1 |
| 1730s | 119.43 million people | 119.43 million people | 119.43 million people | 1 |
| 1740s | 134.40 million people | 134.40 million people | 134.40 million people | 1 |
| 1750s | 167.63 million people | 167.63 million people | 167.63 million people | 1 |
| 1760s | 185.23 million people | 185.23 million people | 185.23 million people | 1 |
| 1770s | 206.93 million people | 206.93 million people | 206.93 million people | 1 |
| 1780s | 259.14 million people | 259.14 million people | 259.14 million people | 1 |
| 1790s | 280.80 million people | 280.80 million people | 280.80 million people | 1 |
| 1800s | 274.49 million people | 274.49 million people | 274.49 million people | 1 |
| 1810s | 321.41 million people | 321.41 million people | 321.41 million people | 1 |
| 1820s | 331.56 million people | 331.56 million people | 331.56 million people | 1 |
| 1830s | 364.84 million people | 364.84 million people | 364.84 million people | 1 |
| 1840s | 385.73 million people | 385.73 million people | 385.73 million people | 1 |
| 1850s | 402.68 million people | 402.68 million people | 402.68 million people | 1 |
| 1860s | 395.58 million people | 395.58 million people | 395.58 million people | 1 |
| 1870s | 335.46 million people | 335.46 million people | 335.46 million people | 1 |
| 1880s | 339.18 million people | 339.18 million people | 339.18 million people | 1 |
| 1890s | 349.58 million people | 349.58 million people | 349.58 million people | 1 |
| 1900s | 372.19 million people | 372.19 million people | 372.19 million people | 1 |
| 1910s | 393.32 million people | 393.32 million people | 393.32 million people | 1 |
| 1920s | 438.57 million people | 438.57 million people | 438.57 million people | 1 |
| 1930s | 452.56 million people | 452.56 million people | 452.56 million people | 1 |
| 1940s | 476.85 million people | 476.85 million people | 476.85 million people | 1 |
| 1950s | 513.24 million people | 483.24 million people | 539.56 million people | 10 |
| 1960s | 588.40 million people | 525.51 million people | 661.77 million people | 10 |
| 1970s | 744.45 million people | 680.22 million people | 785.50 million people | 10 |
| 1980s | 810.88 million people | 792.52 million people | 836.77 million people | 10 |
| 1990s | 851.48 million people | 821.89 million people | 865.80 million people | 10 |
| 2000s | 751.47 million people | 693.52 million people | 807.05 million people | 10 |
| 2010s | 603.78 million people | 530.83 million people | 686.13 million people | 10 |
| 2020s | 479.36 million people | 442.32 million people | 520.20 million people | 10 |
| 2030s | 379.05 million people | 319.58 million people | 432.40 million people | 10 |
| 2040s | 229.42 million people | 149.05 million people | 304.56 million people | 10 |
| 2050s | 129.72 million people | 129.72 million people | 129.72 million people | 1 |
Countries ranked near China
More population data for China
- 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)
- Population growth rate, by level of development -1.7% (2100)
- Total fertility rate vs. contraceptive prevalence 1.01 births per woman (2024)
- Fertility rate vs. unmet need for contraception 1.01 births per woman (2024)
- Refugees by country of asylum 303,405 people (2020)
- Total fertility rate vs. wanted fertility rate 1.01 births per woman (2024)
- Fertility rate vs. Share of people who are religious 0.999 live births per woman (2023)
- Fertility rate accounting for survival until childbearing age 0.9859 children per women (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is urban and rural population projected to 2050 in China?
- Urban and rural population projected to 2050 in China was 129.72 million people in 2050, according to HYDE (2023); United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest urban and rural population projected to 2050 recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 865.80 million people in 1995.
- What is the lowest urban and rural population projected to 2050 recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 34.76 million people in 1000.
- How does China rank for urban and rural population projected to 2050?
- China ranks 4th out of 238 countries with data for 2050.
- Is urban and rural population projected to 2050 rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is down 57.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this China data come from?
- The figures come from HYDE (2023); United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Urban and rural population projected to 2050. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 133 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Number of people living in rural areas, combining UN estimates and projections with modelled historical data.