Demographics of China

This article is about the demographics of the People's Republic of China. For the demographics of the Republic of China (Taiwan), see Demographics of Taiwan.

Demographics of China
Population pyramid of China in November 2020
PopulationDecrease 1,409,670,000 (2023 est.)
Growth rateDecrease −0.15% (2023 est.) (159th)
Birth rate6.39 births per 1,000 (2023 est.)
Death rate7.87 deaths per 1,000 (2023 est.)
Life expectancyIncrease 78.6 years (2022)
 • maleIncrease 76.0 years (2022)
 • femaleIncrease 81.3 years (2022)
Fertility rate1.00 children per woman (2023 est.)
Infant mortality rate6.76 deaths per 1000 live births (2022)[1]
Age structure
0–14 years16.48% (male 124,166,174/female 108,729,429)
15–64 years69.4% (male 504,637,819/female 476,146,909)
65 and over14.11% (male 92,426,805/female 107,035,710) (2023 est.)[2]
Sex ratio
At birth1.11 male to female (2020 est.)
65 and over0.90 male to female (2020 est.)
Nationality
Nationalitynoun: Chinese adjective: Chinese
Major ethnicHan Chinese
Minor ethnicZhuang, Manchu, Hui, Miao, Uyghurs, Yi, Tujia, Mongols, Tibetan, Bouyei, Dong, Yao, Korean, Bai, Hani, Li, Kazakh, Dai, She, Lisu, Gelao, Lahu, Dongxiang, Va, Sui, Nakhi, Qiang, Tu, Xibe, Mulao, Kyrgyz, Daur, Jingpo, Salar, Blang, Maonan, Tajik, Pumi, Achang, Nu, Ewenki, Gin, Jino, De'ang, Uzbeks, Russian, Yugur, Bonan, Monba, Oroqen, Derung, Tatars, Hezhen, Lhoba
Language
OfficialStandard Chinese
SpokenVarious; See Languages of China

China is the second most-populous country in the world and Asia with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, only surpassed by India. Historically, China has always been one of the nation-states with the most population.

China has an enormous population with a relatively small youth component, partially a result of China's one-child policy that was implemented from 1979 until 2015, which limited urban families to one offspring and rural families to two. As of 2022, Chinese state media reported the country's total fertility rate to be 1.09.[3]

China was the world's most populous country from at least 1950[4] until being surpassed by India in 2023.[5][6]

By one estimate, in 2023 China's population stood at 1.409 billion, down from the 1.412 billion recorded in the 2020 census.[7] By another, the population was likely 1.28 billion in 2020 and had been surpassed by India some years earlier.[8] According to the 2020 census, 91.11% of the population was Han Chinese, and 8.89% were minorities. China's population growth rate is −0.15%, ranking 159th in the world.[citation needed] China conducted its sixth national population census in 2010,[9][10] and its seventh census was completed in late 2020, with data released in May 2021.[11]

China faces the challenge of an aging population due to increased life expectancy and declining birth rates. This demographic shift has implications for social services and the labor force.[12]

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  2. ^ "China". 2 August 2023. Archived from the original on 12 August 2023. Retrieved 24 January 2021.
  3. ^ "China's fertility rate drops to record low 1.09 in 2022- state media". Reuters. 15 August 2023. Archived from the original on 20 September 2023. Retrieved 15 August 2023.
  4. ^ Mackintosh, Manveena Suri,Diksha Madhok,Eliza (19 April 2023). "India will surpass China as world's most populous country by mid-year, UN says". CNN. Archived from the original on 2 December 2023. Retrieved 3 May 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  5. ^ "Most populous nation: Should India rejoice or panic?". BBC News. 1 May 2023. Archived from the original on 9 August 2023. Retrieved 6 May 2023.
  6. ^ "India to overtake China as world's most populous country in April 2023, United Nations projects". United Nations. 24 April 2023. Archived from the original on 5 September 2023. Retrieved 27 April 2023.
  7. ^ Master, Farah (17 January 2024). "China's population drops for 2nd year, raises long-term growth concerns". Reuters. Retrieved 17 January 2024.
  8. ^ Yi Fuxian (5 August 2021). "China's Demographic Manipulation". Project Syndicate. Archived from the original on 13 May 2024. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
  9. ^ "Tough road ahead for China census". Straitstimes.com. Archived from the original on 23 October 2010. Retrieved 14 October 2013.
  10. ^ "Communiqué of the National Bureau of Statistics of People's Republic of China on Major Figures of the 2010 Population Census (No. 1)". National Bureau of Statistics of China. 28 April 2011. Archived from the original on 8 November 2013. Retrieved 29 April 2011.
  11. ^ Wee, Sui-Lee (11 May 2021). "China's 'Long-Term Time Bomb': Falling Births Drive Slow Population Growth". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 11 May 2021. Retrieved 11 May 2021.
  12. ^ "China Population 1950-2023". www.macrotrends.net. Archived from the original on 21 May 2023. Retrieved 31 May 2023.