China Population

China is the world’s most populous country, and has been ruled by the Communist Party since 1949. In recent years, the country has opened up to the West, and has made great economic progress.

Key figures and facts

• Capital: Beijing
• Ethnic groups: Han Chinese 92%, others (including the Hui, the Manu, Uyghurs, Miao, Yi, Tujians, Tibetans, Mongolians, Dong, Bouyei, Yao, Bai, Koreans, Hani, Li, Kasakher, Dai and other nationalities) 7% (2010)
• Language: Mandarin (official), yue (Cantonese), wu (Shanghai), minbei, minnan, xinjiang, gan, hakka dialects, minority language
• Religion: Buddhists 18%, Christian 5%, popular religions 22%, Hindus/Jews/others 1%, none 52% (2010)
• Population: 1 424 548 000 (2020)
• Control Form: Communist rule
• Area: 9 562 911 km²
• Currency: yuan
• GNP per capita: 15 529 PPP $
• National Day: October 1st

China’s population

China is, closely followed by India, the world’s most populous country with 1,415,045,928 residents (2018). This represents a little more than 20 percent of the Earth’s total population. Life expectancy is 73.7 years for men and 78.1 years for women (2018).

Population of China by Year (Historical)

Year	Population	Annual Growth Rate	Population Density	Global Rank
2020	1,439,323,665	0.390%	153.3118	1
2019	1,433,783,575	0.430%	152.7217	1
2018	1,427,647,675	0.470%	152.0681	1
2017	1,421,021,680	0.490%	151.3624	1
2016	1,414,049,240	0.510%	150.6197	1
2015	1,406,847,759	0.550%	149.8526	1
2010	1,368,810,504	0.560%	145.8010	1
2005	1,330,776,269	0.620%	141.7497	1
2000	1,290,550,654	0.790%	137.4650	1
1995	1,240,920,424	1.060%	132.1786	1
1990	1,176,883,563	1.820%	125.3576	1
1985	1,075,589,250	1.470%	114.5681	1
1980	1,000,089,124	1.550%	106.5261	1
1975	926,240,774	2.280%	98.6600	1
1970	827,601,283	2.710%	88.1533	1
1965	724,218,857	1.860%	77.1413	1
1960	660,407,945	1.530%	70.3444	1
1955	612,241,443	2.000%	65.2139	1
1950	554,419,162	0.000%	59.0548	1

Major Cities in China by Population

Rank	City	Population
1	Shanghai	22,315,363
2	Beijing	11,716,509
3	Tianjin	11,090,203
4	Guangzhou	11,071,313
5	Shenzhen	10,358,270
6	Wuhan	9,785,277
7	Dongguan	7,999,889
8	Chongqing	7,457,489
9	Chengdu	7,415,479
10	Nanjing	7,165,181
11	Nanchong	7,149,889
12	Xi’an	6,501,079
13	Shenyang	6,255,810
14	Hangzhou	6,241,860
15	Harbin	5,878,828
16	Tai’an	5,498,889
17	Suzhou	5,345,850
18	Shantou	5,328,913
19	Jinan	4,335,878
20	Zhengzhou	4,253,802
21	Changchun	4,192,962
22	Dalian	4,087,622
23	Kunming	3,855,235
24	Qingdao	3,718,724
25	Foshan	3,599,889
26	Puyang	3,589,889
27	Wuxi	3,543,608
28	Xiamen	3,531,236
29	Tianshui	3,499,889
30	Ningbo	3,491,486
31	Shiyan	3,459,889
32	Taiyuan	3,426,408
33	Tangshan	3,371,991
34	Hefei	3,310,157
35	Zibo	3,129,117
36	Zhongshan	3,121,164
37	Changsha	3,093,869
38	Urumqi	3,029,261
39	Shijiazhuang	2,834,831
40	Lanzhou	2,628,315
41	Yunfu	2,612,689
42	Nanchang	2,357,728
43	Dadonghai	1,999,889
44	Ordos	1,940,542
45	Jilin	1,881,866
46	Bayan Nur	1,759,889
47	Kunshan	1,599,889
48	Xinyang	1,590,557
49	Fushun	1,400,535
50	Luoyang	1,390,470
51	Guankou	1,379,889
52	Handan	1,358,207
53	Baotou	1,301,657
54	Xuchang	1,265,425
55	Yueyang	1,199,889
56	Anshan	1,199,164
57	Tongshan	1,199,082
58	Fuzhou	1,179,609
59	Guiyang	1,171,522
60	Lijiang	1,137,489
61	Datong	1,052,567
62	Changshu City	1,047,589
63	Xianyang	1,033,970
64	Huainan	1,027,544
65	Jieyang	1,001,874
66	Zhu Cheng City	999,889
67	Baoding	995,541
68	Benxi	987,606
69	Changzhou	948,907
70	Huaibei	902,928
71	Kaifeng	899,889
72	Pingdingshan	889,564
73	Qiqihar	882,253
74	Wenzhou	865,561
75	Zhabei	839,889
76	Nanning	803,677
77	Anyang	781,018
78	Hohhot	774,366
79	Shangyu	769,889
80	Xining	767,420
81	Qinhuangdao	759,607
82	Hengyang	759,491
83	Xinxiang	743,490
84	Hegang	743,196
85	Langfang	720,008
86	Zhumadian	719,889
87	Yantai	719,221
88	Zhuzhou	709,247
89	Changzhi	699,403
90	Zhangjiakou	692,491
91	Zigong	689,850
92	Fuxin	688,939
93	Huangshi	687,979
94	Liaoyang	687,779
95	Xiangtan	674,078
96	Puyang Chengguanzhen	666,211
97	Nantong	666,140
98	Mudanjiang	665,804
99	Guilin	649,241
100	Zhanjiang	637,679
101	Zhenjiang	632,441
102	Dandong	631,862
103	Shaoguan	628,638
104	Yancheng	628,330
105	Panshan	624,929
106	Haikou	615,724
107	Taizhou	612,245
108	Xingtai	611,628
109	Jinzhou	604,158
110	Shuangyashan	599,889
111	Luancheng	597,019
112	Yingkou	591,048
113	Zhangzhou	589,720
114	Bengbu	576,537
115	Shihezi	572,661
116	Siping	555,498
117	Huai’an	555,119
118	Jiamusi	549,438
119	Neijiang	546,743
120	Yangzhou	539,604
121	Guli	535,889
122	Tanggu	535,187
123	Jiangmen	532,308
124	Cangzhou	527,570
125	Changde	517,669
126	Jiaozuo	517,429
127	Tonghua	509,889
128	Wuhu	507,413
129	Zhuhai	501,088
130	Shashi	498,669
131	Wuwei	492,981
132	Qionghai	479,889
133	Yichang	476,614
134	Yinchuan	474,990
135	Jiaojiang	470,693
136	Zunyi	466,181
137	Jiaxing	465,990
138	Liaoyuan	465,138
139	Xiangyang	462,845
140	Dadukou	461,402
141	Hengshui	456,245
142	Jining	450,216
143	Wenshan City	449,889
144	Chengde	449,214
145	Bei’an	436,333
146	Luqiao	427,779
147	Chaozhou	424,676
148	Shaoxing	421,172
149	Luohe	417,245
150	Yangquan	413,283
151	Chaoyang	409,894
152	Jixi	403,648
153	Yangjiang	399,624
154	Weifang	394,621
155	Xinpu	392,333
156	Dezhou	379,444
157	Zhoukou	376,950
158	Putian	376,447
159	Zhangjiakou Shi Xuanhua Qu	373,311
160	Pingxiang	372,012
161	Fenghuang	369,889
162	Zhaoqing	361,858
163	Huocheng	359,889
164	Anqing	358,550
165	Anshun	351,825
166	Chifeng	346,543
167	Taihecun	344,922
168	Shiqi	342,195
169	Aksu	339,909
170	Tieling	333,796
171	Jincheng	332,539
172	Yanji	326,846
173	Suizhou	323,834
174	Shangrao	318,658
175	Baicheng	316,859
176	Lianshan	313,136
177	Wusong	312,477
178	Jingdezhen	310,454
179	Shengli	306,339
180	Yangshuo	299,889
181	Xinyuan	299,889
182	Xiuying	289,889
183	Beihai	289,457
184	Huizhou	289,090
185	Chuzhou	280,471
186	Kashgar	274,606
187	Linyi	270,558
188	Chengzhong	265,775
189	Wuzhou	265,735
190	Hulan Ergi	265,233
191	Mianyang	264,025
192	Tongliao	260,999
193	Aral	259,889
194	Karamay	259,889
195	Jiujiang	258,696
196	Jining	258,646
197	Turpan	254,789
198	Heze	254,491
199	Laohekou	253,001
200	Suihua	252,134
201	Liupanshui	251,789
202	Nanyang	251,421
203	Wafangdian	250,480
204	Rizhao	246,276
205	Ji’an	244,889
206	Hebi	244,551
207	Huayin	242,377
208	Yibin	242,000
209	Xiantao	239,295
210	Yuci	235,818
211	Linfen	232,455
212	Liaocheng	226,819
213	Fendou	226,187
214	Huanggang	225,845
215	Jingling	224,760
216	Tongchuanshi	223,492
217	Xintai	222,348
218	Wuxue	220,550
219	Wuhai	218,316
220	Jinzhou	215,275
221	Guangyuan	213,254
222	Hailar	210,955
223	Daliang	210,300
224	Sanming	209,333
225	Hangu	208,258
226	Suzhou	205,019
227	Gaoping	204,257
228	Daqing	203,377
229	Yiyang	202,497
230	Linxia Chengguanzhen	202,291
231	Yuncheng	201,839
232	Changji	198,665
233	Kaiyuan	198,312
234	Mentougou	197,661
235	Xinhui	195,018
236	Ezhou	193,541
237	Humen	191,780
238	Haicheng	191,540
239	Zoucheng	190,426
240	Wanxian	188,869
241	Donghai	188,491
242	Baiyin	188,422
243	Laizhou	187,889
244	Zaoyang	184,398
245	Quanzhou	184,032
246	Baishan	183,769
247	Zaozhuang	183,554
248	Anda	181,160
249	Shangqiu	181,107
250	Xianning	179,383
251	Korla	179,354
252	Qianjiang	178,968
253	Chenzhou	178,927
254	Jingzhou	177,767
255	Zhenzhou	175,895
256	Xindi	175,650
257	Jiutai	175,004
258	Bozhou	174,029
259	Licheng	172,664
260	Weinan	172,210
261	Nanping	171,563
262	Dongling	171,343
263	Fuyang	169,912
264	Laiyang	169,483
265	Jingmen	167,639
266	Fuling	166,396
267	Gaozhou	165,958
268	Ulanhot	165,735
269	Shanwei	165,588
270	Jiaozhou	164,915
271	Fendou	164,733
272	Tongzhou	163,215
273	Anbu	162,853
274	Xiaogan	160,326
275	Qapqal	159,889
276	Zhicheng	159,272
277	Huzhou	158,209
278	Nanpiao	156,933
279	Yichun	155,651
280	Lianghu	154,889
281	Beipiao	154,888
282	Guangshui	154,660
283	Leshan	154,366
284	Zhaodong	154,295
285	Xinzhou	153,892
286	Sanshui	153,603
287	Boshan	153,485
288	Yangchun	153,436
289	Linhai	152,826
290	Dingzhou	152,823
291	Weihai	152,484
292	Chenghua	152,342
293	Deyang	152,083
294	Yichun	152,058
295	Longfeng	151,963
296	Qingyuan	151,176
297	Gaomi	150,682
298	Loudi	150,573
299	Huangyan	150,337
300	Dunhua	148,733
301	Yulin	148,374
302	Chizhou	148,264
303	Sujiatun	148,002
304	Honggang	147,866
305	Qujing	145,904
306	Hanzhong	145,875
307	Xinji	145,800
308	Taishan	145,329
309	Sanya	144,642
310	Acheng	144,554
311	Jinchang	144,252
312	Meizhou	144,101
313	Jinhua	142,095
314	Jieshou	141,882
315	Gongzhuling	140,798
316	Shanhaiguan	139,889
317	Altay	139,230
318	Huadian	138,936
319	Fuyu	138,593
320	Chaohu	138,352
321	Jieshi	137,333
322	Jiashan	137,001
323	Hami	136,961
324	Shizuishan	136,459
325	Gejiu	136,024
326	Jiagedaqi	135,649
327	Shiqiao	135,197
328	Dali	133,929
329	Puqi	132,780
330	Ankang	132,543
331	Zhalantun	132,113
332	Dawukou	131,769
333	Majie	131,585
334	Hepo	131,127
335	Dazhou	130,638
336	Shuangcheng	130,599
337	Dongyang	130,276
338	Jiazi	130,187
339	Songjiang	130,107
340	Shangri-La	129,889
341	Wuda	129,811
342	Leiyang	129,005
343	Xuanzhou	127,647
344	Huaihua	127,211
345	Jiangyou	127,114
346	Xichang	126,676
347	Danshui	126,590
348	Macheng	126,255
349	Huicheng	125,808
350	Xiazhen	125,556
351	Haimen	125,316
352	Shahecheng	125,021
353	Suining	124,813
354	Yushu	124,625
355	Lecheng	124,157
356	Laiwu	123,997
357	Jiupu	123,732
358	Baoshan	123,680
359	Luoyang	123,033
360	Minzhu	122,907
361	Huangzhou	122,452
362	Xiulin	122,300
363	Zhoucun	122,291
364	Jiayuguan	122,285
365	Lianhe	121,256
366	Xilin Hot	120,854
367	Fengcheng	120,403
368	Zhaoyuan	119,889
369	Lhasa	118,610
370	Puning	117,912
371	Shunyi	117,512
372	Longjing	117,074
373	Qingzhou	116,945
374	Dasha	116,196
375	Yakeshi	116,173
376	Binzhou	115,782
377	Lengshuijiang	115,288
378	Tianfu	115,259
379	Wenchang	114,889
380	Mingshui	114,747
381	Yuyao	114,066
382	Hotan	113,889
383	Pingshan	113,520
384	Songyuan	113,500
385	Maba	113,498
386	Guangming	112,708
387	Haikou	112,533
388	Shaowu	112,474
389	Kaiyuan	112,351
390	Beibei	111,908
391	Dongtai	110,877
392	Encheng	110,810
393	Zhuji	110,610
394	Qingnian	109,935
395	Mizhou	109,857
396	Linshui	109,844
397	Hailun	109,770
398	Shilong	109,622
399	Tieli	109,525
400	Dongxing	109,450

Historical development

Throughout its history China has had a numerous population. The population was at the end of the Han Dynasty, around the year 2 if necessary., Provided to 59.6 million spread over 12.2 million households with an average size of 4.87 persons.

During the Song dynasty, the population increased to over 100 million at the beginning of the 12th century, before the year of foreign and foreign rule reduced the population. In 1381, the country had 59.9 million residents divided into 10.6 million households with 5.62 persons in each. From the 1400s, the population increased rapidly, only interrupted by war and natural disasters in the mid-1600s. In 1762, China had more than 200 million residents. In 1803 the figure had risen to 302 million and in 1834 to 401 million, before dissatisfaction, foreign rule and hunger again reduced population growth. In 1950, the population was estimated at 554 million.

Before 1949, both the frequency of births and mortality were high, and the population increased relatively moderately. In the first decade after the People’s Republic of China was established (1949), the annual population growth was about 2 percent. Since the early 1970s, an active family planning policy has been pursued, encouraging late marriage and from 1979 to 2015 one child per family, with the exception of national minorities. As a result of this policy for young children, the frequency of births has declined sharply over the past three decades, from an average of 39 per 1,000 residents in the 1950s to 33 per 1,000 in the 1960s, 25 per 1,000 in the 1970s, 12.5 per 1,000 in 2003 and 12.1 per 1,000 in 2018. At the same time, mortality has continued to decrease, though not at the same pace, from an average of 16 per 1,000 in the 1950s to 13 in the 1960s, 8 in the 1970s, and 6, 4 per 1,000 in 2003. Annual natural population growth has thus been reduced, from 2.3 percent in the 1950s to 2.0 percent in the 1960s, 1,

China today consists of many one-child families, while at the same time the proportion of older people is increasing sharply. For example, the number of people over 60 in 2030 is expected to be 230 million. The changed age composition is challenging in terms of both pension, health and working life.

From 2015, the authorities have moved away from the one-child policy, partly because of a rapidly aging population. However, the birth rate has been fairly stable in China since the mid-1990s, and is approximately 1.7 children per woman (2019). The opportunity for good education and social mobility that one (or few) children per family, combined with a better developed welfare state with regard to education, health and pension, is likely to keep birth rates low in the future.

To the Chinese population, but not included in the population, are countrymen in Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan and the Taiwanese-controlled Kinmen and Matsu Islands. About 34 million Chinese live in other countries and have the status of overseas Chinese. In the 1500s to 1800s, many emigrated to Southeast Asia. Today, their descendants comprise the majority of the population of Singapore and a significant minority in Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam and Malaysia. In recent times, Chinese have emigrated to countries all over the world – most of them USA, Canada, Australia and other Western countries.

Settlement pattern and ethnic composition

Chinese are any person resident in China’s borders, regardless of ethnicity. However, the Chinese include a variety of ethnic and linguistic groups. The majority population is called Han Chinese (really just “he”) and makes up 91.5 percent of the people (2010). Today, he-Chinese are the majority in all provinces and autonomous regions except Xinjiang and Tibet.

56 ethnic groups have the status of national minorities, and constitute 8.5 percent of the population (2010). Many of them reside in strategically important border areas that are also rich in natural resources.

Many regions and provinces with national minorities have autonomous status with certain political and cultural rights. Five autonomous regions have been created for some of the largest minorities: Inner Mongolia (No Mongol) for the Mongols, Guangxi for the zhuangs, who are ethnically related to the people of Thailand, Xinjiang for the Turkish- speaking Uyghurs, Ningxia for the hui people, who are descendants of Han Chinese who converted to Islam in the 7th century, and Tibet (Chinese Xizang) for Tibetans.

Other large groups of people:

• In Northeast China, the Man-seers, who conquered China in the 17th century, but are now largely assimilated into Han-Chinese society, and Koreans who have emigrated to Manjury for centuries.
• In southern China, miao, which is related to the mountain peoples of Indochina and who mainly live in the mountain areas of Guizhou and Hunan, further tujia, which belongs to the Tibetan-Burmese language group and live in the border areas between Hunan, Hubei and Sichuan, and li, which lives in the interior of the island of Hainan.
• In southwest China, yi, which belongs to the Tibetan-Burmese language group and lives in Yunnan and southern Sichuan, and the mountain people yao and dai who are both related to the Thai people.
• In northwestern China, Turkish- speaking Kazakhs.
• In Guangdong and Fujian, the people group lives the hakka, which is not considered a national minority.

Separatism

In principle, China’s recognition of national minorities is that China is a culturally pluralistic civilization; no form of political separatism is allowed among any of the national minorities.

Ten largest cities

Population figures are taken from the city’s official websites.

City	Residents
Shanghai	24.3 million (2019)
Beijing	21.7 million (2017)
Shenzhen	13 million (2018)
Guangzhou	14.9 million (2018)
Tianjin	15.6 million (2018)
Chengdu	16.3 million (2018)
Wuhan	11 million (2018)
Dongguan	8.3 million (2017)
Foshan	7.3 million (2018)
Hangzhou	9.8 million (2018)

Ten largest minorities in population (2010)

Minority	Number in millions (2010)	Percentage of the country’s population
zhuang	16.93	1.27
hui	10.58	0.79
mansju	10.38	0.78
Uighur	7.10	0.76
miao	9.43	0.71
yi	8.71	0.65
Tujia	8.35	0.63
tibetaner	6.28	0.47
Mongolians	5.98	0.48
dong	2.88	0.22