China Population
China had an estimated population of 1,406,585,000 in mid-2025 (World Bank), making it the 2nd most populous of 217 countries and territories, with 17.12% of everyone alive. The counter above projects that figure forward at the current growth rate of −0.17% a year.
China at a glance
How China's population is changing
China's population is roughly stable: −0.17% a year, which works out to about −2,387,972 people per year, or −6,538 a day. Births (6.8 per 1,000) and deaths (7.8 per 1,000) alone would give −0.10% a year; net migration removes about 268,126 people a year (−0.02%). Roughly one in every 6 people on Earth lives in China.
Population of China since 1960
In 1960, China had 667,070,000 people. By 2025 that was 1,406,585,000 — 2.1× larger. The fastest growth came between 1962 and 1972, when the population rose by 29%.
| Year | Population | Change vs previous row |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 667,070,000 | — |
| 1970 | 818,315,000 | +22.7% |
| 1980 | 981,235,000 | +19.9% |
| 1990 | 1,135,185,000 | +15.7% |
| 2000 | 1,262,645,000 | +11.2% |
| 2010 | 1,337,705,000 | +5.9% |
| 2020 | 1,411,100,000 | +5.5% |
| 2025 | 1,406,585,000 | −0.3% |
China from 1800 to 2100
Modelled estimates put China at about 330,000,000 people in 1800; the UN estimates 1,416,096,093 in 2025 (4× 1800) and projects 633,368,105 for 2100 in its medium scenario. The population is projected to peak around 2021 at 1,426,437,269 and decline afterwards.
| Year | Population | Kind |
|---|---|---|
| 1800 | 330,000,000 | modelled estimate |
| 1850 | 409,821,554 | modelled estimate |
| 1900 | 395,929,430 | modelled estimate |
| 1950 | 544,044,355 | UN estimate |
| 2000 | 1,269,581,174 | UN estimate |
| 2025 | 1,416,096,093 | UN projection |
| 2050 | 1,260,289,089 | UN projection |
| 2075 | 934,466,657 | UN projection |
| 2100 | 633,368,105 | UN projection |
Country live/base figures use World Bank estimates; this historical/future chart uses a separate UN series and need not match the World Bank base in overlapping years. Before 1950: HYDE 3.3 / Gapminder reconstructions via Our World in Data — historical modelling, not censuses. 1950–2023: UN World Population Prospects 2024. 2024–2100: UN medium projection. Open the time machine to see the whole map in any year.
Largest listed places in China
10 records sorted by displayed base population. Definitions vary (province/administrative unit, UN urban centre or GeoNames settlement); this is not a harmonised city ranking. Shares use World Bank 2025 country population 1,406,585,000. Dates and boundaries may differ. Overlapping entities are not summed.
| # | Place | Population | Definition | Share | Source / reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shanghai | 29,558,908 | UN urban centre | 2.10% | UN DESA, World Urbanization Prospects 2025; 2025 annual estimate |
| 2 | Guangzhou | 27,563,372 | UN urban centre | 1.96% | UN DESA, World Urbanization Prospects 2025; 2025 annual estimate |
| 3 | Shenzhen | 17,494,398 | GeoNames settlement | 1.24% | GeoNames settlement record; Population reference date not supplied in local record |
| 4 | Beijing | 17,013,303 | UN urban centre | 1.21% | UN DESA, World Urbanization Prospects 2025; 2025 annual estimate |
| 5 | Dongguan | 9,644,871 | GeoNames settlement | 0.69% | GeoNames settlement record; Population reference date not supplied in local record |
| 6 | Foshan | 9,042,509 | GeoNames settlement | 0.64% | GeoNames settlement record; Population reference date not supplied in local record |
| 7 | Suzhou | 7,731,101 | UN urban centre | 0.55% | UN DESA, World Urbanization Prospects 2025; 2025 annual estimate |
| 8 | Hangzhou | 7,500,208 | UN urban centre | 0.53% | UN DESA, World Urbanization Prospects 2025; 2025 annual estimate |
| 9 | Wuhan | 7,363,548 | UN urban centre | 0.52% | UN DESA, World Urbanization Prospects 2025; 2025 annual estimate |
| 10 | Tianjin | 7,285,342 | UN urban centre | 0.52% | UN DESA, World Urbanization Prospects 2025; 2025 annual estimate |
How China compares
China has almost the same population as India (1,463,865,525).
| Rank | Country | Population | vs China | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 |  India | 1,463,865,525 | +4% | compare → |
| #3 |  United States | 341,784,857 | −76% | compare → |
| #4 |  Indonesia | 285,721,236 | −80% | compare → |
Compare China with any country →
Same region (East Asia & Pacific): Indonesia, Japan, Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, Myanmar.
Explore around China
Land neighbours (14)
- India 1,463,865,525 · about the same population · compare
Pakistan 255,219,554 · 5.5× smaller · compare
Russia 143,513,328 · 9.8× smaller · compare
Vietnam 101,598,527 · 13.8× smaller · compare
Myanmar 54,850,648 · 25.6× smaller · compare
Afghanistan 43,844,111 · 32.1× smaller · compare
Nepal 29,618,118 · 47.5× smaller · compare
North Korea 26,571,036 · 52.9× smaller · compare
Kazakhstan 20,843,754 · 67.5× smaller · compare
Tajikistan 10,786,734 · 130.4× smaller · compare
Laos 7,873,046 · 178.7× smaller · compare
Kyrgyzstan 7,343,064 · 191.6× smaller · compare
Mongolia 3,568,978 · 394.1× smaller · compare
Bhutan 796,682 · 1765.6× smaller · compare
China's 14 neighbours together hold 2,170,293,105 people — 1.5× China's population. The most populous is India (1,463,865,525).
In its region
China is the 1st most populous of the 37 economies in East Asia & Pacific, holding 59.4% of the region's 2,367,527,180 people.
Rankings featuring China
Cities
Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Beijing, Dongguan, Foshan, Suzhou, Hangzhou — all China's cities on the map.
World population history · The world when you were born · China when you were born · Time machine · Embed this live counter on your site
About these numbers
Population, growth, birth and death rates, migration, density, age structure, life expectancy, fertility and GDP per capita come from the World Bank Indicators API (latest available year shown beside each figure). The live counter applies the annual growth rate continuously from 1 July 2025 — a model, not a measurement. City populations are the latest census or official estimate held by GeoNames and are not projected. Sub-city units are folded into their parent city.
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Read this country carefully
This page is a structured reference entry. Its sources, geographic definition and reference dates determine what the figures mean; it is not independent reporting about the causes of change. Read the accompanying explanation before comparing different places or vintages.