Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in China
China: Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million was 32.7% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in China, 1960–2025
Source: World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN). Measured in % of total population.
Analysis
The most recent figure for population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in China is 32.7%, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 66 years on record.
The figure is up 2.2% on the previous year and up 26.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in China peaked at 32.7% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 7.7%, in 1974.
That places China 31st out of 121 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in China, year by year
| Year | % of total population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 8.1% | — |
| 1961 | 8.4% | +3.9% |
| 1962 | 8.5% | +1.0% |
| 1963 | 8.5% | -0.6% |
| 1964 | 8.4% | -0.3% |
| 1965 | 8.4% | -0.0% |
| 1966 | 8.4% | -1.0% |
| 1967 | 8.2% | -1.3% |
| 1968 | 8.1% | -1.4% |
| 1969 | 8.0% | -1.6% |
| 1970 | 7.9% | -1.6% |
| 1971 | 7.8% | -1.1% |
| 1972 | 7.8% | -0.5% |
| 1973 | 7.7% | -0.3% |
| 1974 | 7.7% | -0.0% |
| 1975 | 7.8% | +0.3% |
| 1976 | 7.8% | +0.5% |
| 1977 | 7.9% | +0.9% |
| 1978 | 8.0% | +1.2% |
| 1979 | 8.1% | +1.4% |
| 1980 | 8.2% | +1.5% |
| 1981 | 8.3% | +1.6% |
| 1982 | 8.5% | +1.5% |
| 1983 | 8.7% | +2.3% |
| 1984 | 8.9% | +2.5% |
| 1985 | 9.1% | +2.5% |
| 1986 | 9.3% | +2.5% |
| 1987 | 9.5% | +2.4% |
| 1988 | 9.8% | +2.5% |
| 1989 | 10.0% | +2.6% |
| 1990 | 10.3% | +2.8% |
| 1991 | 10.8% | +4.3% |
| 1992 | 11.3% | +4.6% |
| 1993 | 11.8% | +4.7% |
| 1994 | 12.4% | +4.9% |
| 1995 | 13.0% | +5.1% |
| 1996 | 13.7% | +5.2% |
| 1997 | 14.4% | +5.4% |
| 1998 | 15.2% | +5.6% |
| 1999 | 16.1% | +5.9% |
| 2000 | 17.1% | +6.2% |
| 2001 | 17.8% | +3.9% |
| 2002 | 18.3% | +2.8% |
| 2003 | 18.8% | +2.9% |
| 2004 | 19.4% | +3.0% |
| 2005 | 20.0% | +3.0% |
| 2006 | 20.6% | +3.0% |
| 2007 | 21.2% | +3.1% |
| 2008 | 21.9% | +3.1% |
| 2009 | 22.6% | +3.1% |
| 2010 | 23.3% | +3.2% |
| 2011 | 23.9% | +2.5% |
| 2012 | 24.4% | +2.1% |
| 2013 | 24.9% | +2.1% |
| 2014 | 25.4% | +2.1% |
| 2015 | 26.0% | +2.2% |
| 2016 | 26.5% | +2.2% |
| 2017 | 27.1% | +2.1% |
| 2018 | 27.7% | +2.2% |
| 2019 | 28.3% | +2.4% |
| 2020 | 29.0% | +2.4% |
| 2021 | 29.8% | +2.5% |
| 2022 | 30.5% | +2.5% |
| 2023 | 31.3% | +2.5% |
| 2024 | 32.0% | +2.3% |
| 2025 | 32.7% | +2.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 8.3% | 8.0% | 8.5% | 10 |
| 1970s | 7.8% | 7.7% | 8.1% | 10 |
| 1980s | 9.0% | 8.2% | 10.0% | 10 |
| 1990s | 12.9% | 10.3% | 16.1% | 10 |
| 2000s | 19.8% | 17.1% | 22.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 25.7% | 23.3% | 28.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 30.9% | 29.0% | 32.7% | 6 |
Countries ranked near China
- 28 Chile 35.2% compare
- 29 Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of 35.2% compare
- 30 Peru 33.3% compare
- 32 New Zealand 32.1% compare
- 33 Dominican Republic 31.7% compare
- 34 Liberia 31.3% compare
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 in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in China?
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million in China was 32.7% in 2025, according to World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN).
- What is the highest population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 32.7% in 2025.
- What is the lowest population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 7.7% in 1974.
- How does China rank for population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million?
- China ranks 31st out of 121 countries with data for 2025.
- Is population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is up 26.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this China data come from?
- The figures come from World Urbanization Prospects 2018, United Nations (UN), published as part of Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million (% of total population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 66 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Population in urban agglomerations of more than one million is the percentage of a country's population living in metropolitan areas that in 2018 had a population of more than one million people.