Population growth in China
China: Population growth was -0.2% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Population growth in China, 1961–2025
Source: World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), note: Derived from total population, publisher: UN Population Division. Measured in annual %.
Analysis
In 2025, population growth in China stood at -0.2%.
The figure is down 38.0% on the previous year and down 129.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population growth in China peaked at 2.8% in 1966 and was at its lowest, -1.0%, in 1961.
China ranks 188th of 218 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Population growth in China, year by year
| Year | annual % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | -1.0% | — |
| 1962 | 0.8% | -180.8% |
| 1963 | 2.5% | +199.5% |
| 1964 | 2.3% | -5.6% |
| 1965 | 2.4% | +2.6% |
| 1966 | 2.8% | +17.0% |
| 1967 | 2.6% | -7.8% |
| 1968 | 2.6% | +1.6% |
| 1969 | 2.7% | +4.9% |
| 1970 | 2.8% | +0.8% |
| 1971 | 2.7% | -0.5% |
| 1972 | 2.5% | -10.5% |
| 1973 | 2.3% | -7.1% |
| 1974 | 2.1% | -9.5% |
| 1975 | 1.8% | -14.5% |
| 1976 | 1.5% | -12.4% |
| 1977 | 1.4% | -11.9% |
| 1978 | 1.3% | -1.8% |
| 1979 | 1.3% | -0.3% |
| 1980 | 1.3% | -6.0% |
| 1981 | 1.3% | +2.1% |
| 1982 | 1.5% | +15.0% |
| 1983 | 1.4% | -1.9% |
| 1984 | 1.3% | -9.2% |
| 1985 | 1.4% | +3.8% |
| 1986 | 1.5% | +9.2% |
| 1987 | 1.6% | +7.8% |
| 1988 | 1.6% | +0.4% |
| 1989 | 1.5% | -4.8% |
| 1990 | 1.5% | -4.3% |
| 1991 | 1.4% | -7.0% |
| 1992 | 1.2% | -10.2% |
| 1993 | 1.1% | -6.2% |
| 1994 | 1.1% | -1.7% |
| 1995 | 1.1% | -3.9% |
| 1996 | 1.0% | -3.5% |
| 1997 | 1.0% | -2.4% |
| 1998 | 1.0% | -6.2% |
| 1999 | 0.9% | -9.8% |
| 2000 | 0.8% | -9.0% |
| 2001 | 0.7% | -7.8% |
| 2002 | 0.7% | -7.8% |
| 2003 | 0.6% | -7.0% |
| 2004 | 0.6% | -4.6% |
| 2005 | 0.6% | -1.0% |
| 2006 | 0.6% | -5.1% |
| 2007 | 0.5% | -6.5% |
| 2008 | 0.5% | -1.9% |
| 2009 | 0.5% | -2.9% |
| 2010 | 0.5% | -2.9% |
| 2011 | 0.5% | +13.1% |
| 2012 | 0.7% | +24.1% |
| 2013 | 0.7% | -1.8% |
| 2014 | 0.6% | -5.4% |
| 2015 | 0.6% | -7.8% |
| 2016 | 0.6% | -1.4% |
| 2017 | 0.6% | +5.6% |
| 2018 | 0.5% | -22.7% |
| 2019 | 0.4% | -24.1% |
| 2020 | 0.2% | -32.9% |
| 2021 | 0.1% | -62.5% |
| 2022 | -0.0% | -114.7% |
| 2023 | -0.1% | +692.4% |
| 2024 | -0.1% | +18.6% |
| 2025 | -0.2% | +38.0% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's -0.2% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 0.5%. (59 countries reporting)
- China's -0.2% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 0.6%. (37 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Population growth in China changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | -692.4% | -0.0% | -0.1% |
| 1963 | +199.5% | 0.8% | 2.5% |
| 1962 | +180.8% | -1.0% | 0.8% |
| 2022 | -114.7% | 0.1% | -0.0% |
| 2021 | -62.5% | 0.2% | 0.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 2.0% | -1.0% | 2.8% | 9 |
| 1970s | 2.0% | 1.3% | 2.8% | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.4% | 1.3% | 1.6% | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.1% | 0.9% | 1.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.6% | 0.5% | 0.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.6% | 0.4% | 0.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | -0.0% | -0.2% | 0.2% | 6 |
Countries ranked near China
More climate change data for China
- Nutrient nitrogen N (total) — Synthetic fertilizers (Agricultural) 31.25 billion kg (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 604,831 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 191,478 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 413,353 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 722.56 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 14,763 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 342,069 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 200,605 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 141,464 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 757 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population growth in China?
- Population growth in China was -0.2% in 2025, according to World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), note: Derived from total population, publisher: UN Population Division.
- What is the highest population growth recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 2.8% in 1966.
- What is the lowest population growth recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was -1.0% in 1961.
- How does China rank for population growth?
- China ranks 188th out of 218 countries with data for 2025.
- Is population growth rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is down 129.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this China data come from?
- The figures come from World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), note: Derived from total population, publisher: UN Population Division, published as part of Population growth (annual %). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 65 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Annual population growth rate for year t is the exponential rate of growth of midyear population from year t-1 to t, expressed as a percentage. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship.