Urban population growth (annual %) in China
China: Urban population growth was 0.5% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Urban population growth in China, 1961–2025
Source: World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN). Measured in annual %.
Analysis
China recorded 0.5% for urban population growth in 2025.
The figure is up 17.7% on the previous year and down 84.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, urban population growth in China peaked at 10.7% in 1964 and was at its lowest, -9.9%, in 1962.
That places China 154th out of 218 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Urban population growth in China, year by year
| Year | annual % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | -3.3% | — |
| 1962 | -9.9% | +198.8% |
| 1963 | -0.4% | -95.9% |
| 1964 | 10.7% | -2741.5% |
| 1965 | 0.6% | -94.0% |
| 1966 | 2.1% | +228.6% |
| 1967 | 1.9% | -9.3% |
| 1968 | 1.9% | +1.7% |
| 1969 | 2.1% | +6.2% |
| 1970 | 2.1% | +1.2% |
| 1971 | 2.1% | -0.9% |
| 1972 | 1.7% | -16.9% |
| 1973 | 2.7% | +57.2% |
| 1974 | 1.9% | -31.0% |
| 1975 | 2.8% | +52.0% |
| 1976 | 2.1% | -26.3% |
| 1977 | 2.0% | -2.8% |
| 1978 | 3.4% | +68.1% |
| 1979 | 7.0% | +106.6% |
| 1980 | 3.5% | -50.1% |
| 1981 | 5.2% | +47.3% |
| 1982 | 3.5% | -32.4% |
| 1983 | 6.5% | +85.6% |
| 1984 | 7.5% | +16.8% |
| 1985 | 4.3% | -42.7% |
| 1986 | 4.9% | +12.8% |
| 1987 | 4.8% | -1.8% |
| 1988 | 3.5% | -26.0% |
| 1989 | 3.1% | -13.9% |
| 1990 | 1.4% | -53.8% |
| 1991 | 4.2% | +195.2% |
| 1992 | 3.1% | -24.7% |
| 1993 | 3.1% | -2.4% |
| 1994 | 3.0% | -3.0% |
| 1995 | 2.9% | -1.3% |
| 1996 | 5.9% | +100.9% |
| 1997 | 5.6% | -4.7% |
| 1998 | 5.4% | -4.2% |
| 1999 | 5.1% | -5.8% |
| 2000 | 5.4% | +7.2% |
| 2001 | 4.0% | -25.6% |
| 2002 | 4.4% | +8.8% |
| 2003 | 4.2% | -3.5% |
| 2004 | 3.6% | -15.5% |
| 2005 | 3.5% | -2.6% |
| 2006 | 3.7% | +4.8% |
| 2007 | 3.9% | +8.0% |
| 2008 | 2.9% | -27.0% |
| 2009 | 3.3% | +15.7% |
| 2010 | 2.3% | -30.7% |
| 2011 | 5.7% | +145.9% |
| 2012 | 3.1% | -45.5% |
| 2013 | 3.2% | +4.8% |
| 2014 | 2.9% | -10.2% |
| 2015 | 3.4% | +15.7% |
| 2016 | 3.2% | -6.0% |
| 2017 | 3.0% | -6.8% |
| 2018 | 2.5% | -14.2% |
| 2019 | 2.3% | -9.3% |
| 2020 | 1.5% | -33.7% |
| 2021 | 2.0% | +28.2% |
| 2022 | 0.8% | -61.6% |
| 2023 | 0.4% | -50.2% |
| 2024 | 0.4% | +15.4% |
| 2025 | 0.5% | +17.7% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 0.5% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 1.0%, 53% of the median. (59 countries reporting)
- China's 0.5% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 0.9%, 55% of the median. (37 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Urban 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1964 | +2741.5% | -0.4% | 10.7% |
| 1966 | +228.6% | 0.6% | 2.1% |
| 1991 | +195.2% | 1.4% | 4.2% |
| 1962 | -198.8% | -3.3% | -9.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.6% | -9.9% | 10.7% | 9 |
| 1970s | 2.8% | 1.7% | 7.0% | 10 |
| 1980s | 4.7% | 3.1% | 7.5% | 10 |
| 1990s | 4.0% | 1.4% | 5.9% | 10 |
| 2000s | 3.9% | 2.9% | 5.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.2% | 2.3% | 5.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.9% | 0.4% | 2.0% | 6 |
Countries ranked near China
- 151 Slovenia 0.6% compare
- 152 Micronesia (country) 0.6% compare
- 153 Azerbaijan 0.5% compare
- 155 Sweden 0.5% compare
- 156 Saint Kitts and Nevis 0.5% compare
- 157 Bahamas 0.4% 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 urban population growth in China?
- Urban population growth in China was 0.5% in 2025, according to World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN).
- What is the highest urban population growth recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 10.7% in 1964.
- What is the lowest urban population growth recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was -9.9% in 1962.
- How does China rank for urban population growth?
- China ranks 154th out of 218 countries with data for 2025.
- Is urban population growth rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is down 84.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this China data come from?
- The figures come from World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN), published as part of Urban 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 urban population growth rate for year t is the exponential rate of growth of midyear urban population from year t-1 to t, expressed as a percentage. Urban population refers to people living in urban areas as defined by national statistical offices. It is calculated using World Bank total population estimates and urban ratios from the United Nations World Urbanization Prospects.