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China Demographics

Population of China (2026)

View live population, charts & trends: Population of China

China Population
1,412,914,089
see live
Yearly Change
−0.22%
Global Share
17.02%
Global Rank
2

Median Age

The median age in China is 40.6 years (2026).

Fertility in China

A Total Fertility Rate (TFR) of 2.1 represents the Replacement-Level Fertility: the average number of children per woman needed for each generation to exactly replace itself without needing international immigration. A value below 2.1 will cause the native population to decline


Total Fertility Rate (TFR)
1.0
(Live Births per Woman, 2026)

Life Expectancy in China

See also: Countries in the world ranked by Life Expectancy

Both Sexes
79.0
(life expectancy at birth, both sexes combined)
Females
81.8
(life expectancy at birth, females)
Males
76.4
(life expectancy at birth, males)


Infant Mortality Rate and Deaths of Children under 5 Years Old in China


Infant Mortality
5.4
(infant deaths per 1,000 live births)
Deaths under age 5
6.8
(per 1,000 live births)


China Urban Population

Currently, 68.7% of the population of China is urban (970,433,085 people in 2026)


Population Density

The 2026 population density in China is 150 people per Km2 (390 people per mi2), calculated on a total land area of 9,388,211 Km2 (3,624,807 sq. miles).

Largest cities by Population in China

(includes boroughs, districts, urban agglomerations, etc.)

Rank Urban Area Population Estimate (2025)
1 Shanghai 29,558,908
2 Guangzhou 27,563,372
3 Beijing 17,013,303
4 Shenzhen 13,878,396
5 Suzhou 7,731,101
6 Hangzhou 7,500,208
7 Wuhan 7,363,548
8 Tianjin 7,285,342
9 Chongqing 7,071,073
10 Nanjing 6,800,676
11 Chaozhou 6,407,770
12 Chengdu 6,139,874
13 Shenyang 5,702,638
14 Xi'an 5,231,053
15 Zhengzhou 4,878,035
16 Hefei 4,867,000
17 Harbin 4,376,259
18 Wenzhou 4,158,195
19 Taiyuan 4,005,816
20 Puning 3,989,322
21 Ürümqi 3,755,144
22 Qingdao 3,616,657
23 Jinan 3,472,980
24 Changsha 3,457,508
25 Changchun 3,349,934
26 Nanchang 3,299,773
27 Nanning 3,288,636
28 Quanzhou 3,286,129
29 Kunming 3,228,117
30 Ningbo 3,094,833
More info

See also

Sources

Definitions

Population Pyramid

A Population pyramid (also called "Age-Sex Pyramid") is a graphical representation of the age and sex of a population.

Types:

  • Expansive - pyramid with a wide base (larger percentage of people in younger age groups, indicating high birth rates and high fertility rates) and narrow top (high death rate and lower life expectancies). It suggests a growing population. Example: Nigeria Population Pyramid
  • Constrictive - pyramid with a narrow base (lower percentage of younger people, indicating declining birth rates with each succeeding age group getting smaller than the previous one). Example: United States
  • Stationary - with a somewhat equal proportion of the population in each age group. The population is stable, neither increasing nor decreasing.

Stages:

Population pyramid stages

Dependency Ratio

There are three types of age dependency ratio: Youth, Elderly, and Total. All three ratios are commonly multiplied by 100.

Youth Dependency Ratio

Definition: population ages 0-15 divided by the population ages 16-64.

Formula: ([Population ages 0-15] ÷ [Population ages 16-64]) × 100

Elderly dependency ratio

Definition: population ages 65-plus divided by the population ages 16-64.

Formula: ([Population ages 65-plus] ÷ [Population ages 16-64]) × 100

Total dependency ratio

Definition: sum of the youth and old-age ratios.

Formula: (([Population ages 0-15] + [Population ages 65-plus]) ÷ [Population ages 16-64]) × 100

NOTE: Dependency Ratio does not take into account labor force participation rates by age group. Some portion of the population counted as "working age" may actually be unemployed or not in the labor force whereas some portion of the "dependent" population may be employed and not necessarily economically dependent.