Population (International Monetary) in China
China: Population (International Monetary) was 1.41 billion in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
1.41 billion
Change on year
down 0.1%
World rank
2nd
of 186 countries
All-time high
1.41 billion
in 2021
All-time low
660.33 million
in 1961
Years of data
65
1960–2024
Population in China, 1960–2024
Source: International Monetary Fund.
Analysis
China recorded 1.41 billion for population in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.1% on the previous year and up 2.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population in China peaked at 1.41 billion in 2021 and was at its lowest, 660.33 million, in 1961.
That places China 2nd out of 186 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 65 years of available data.
Population (International Monetary) in China, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 667.07 million | — |
| 1961 | 660.33 million | -1.0% |
| 1962 | 665.77 million | +0.8% |
| 1963 | 682.34 million | +2.5% |
| 1964 | 698.36 million | +2.3% |
| 1965 | 715.18 million | +2.4% |
| 1966 | 735.40 million | +2.8% |
| 1967 | 754.55 million | +2.6% |
| 1968 | 774.51 million | +2.6% |
| 1969 | 796.02 million | +2.8% |
| 1970 | 818.32 million | +2.8% |
| 1971 | 841.11 million | +2.8% |
| 1972 | 862.03 million | +2.5% |
| 1973 | 881.94 million | +2.3% |
| 1974 | 900.35 million | +2.1% |
| 1975 | 916.39 million | +1.8% |
| 1976 | 930.68 million | +1.6% |
| 1977 | 943.46 million | +1.4% |
| 1978 | 956.16 million | +1.3% |
| 1979 | 969.00 million | +1.3% |
| 1980 | 981.24 million | +1.3% |
| 1981 | 993.88 million | +1.3% |
| 1982 | 1.01 billion | +1.5% |
| 1983 | 1.02 billion | +1.5% |
| 1984 | 1.04 billion | +1.3% |
| 1985 | 1.05 billion | +1.4% |
| 1986 | 1.07 billion | +1.5% |
| 1987 | 1.08 billion | +1.6% |
| 1988 | 1.10 billion | +1.6% |
| 1989 | 1.12 billion | +1.5% |
| 1990 | 1.14 billion | +1.5% |
| 1991 | 1.15 billion | +1.4% |
| 1992 | 1.16 billion | +1.2% |
| 1993 | 1.18 billion | +1.2% |
| 1994 | 1.19 billion | +1.1% |
| 1995 | 1.20 billion | +1.1% |
| 1996 | 1.22 billion | +1.1% |
| 1997 | 1.23 billion | +1.0% |
| 1998 | 1.24 billion | +1.0% |
| 1999 | 1.25 billion | +0.9% |
| 2000 | 1.26 billion | +0.8% |
| 2001 | 1.27 billion | +0.7% |
| 2002 | 1.28 billion | +0.7% |
| 2003 | 1.29 billion | +0.6% |
| 2004 | 1.30 billion | +0.6% |
| 2005 | 1.30 billion | +0.6% |
| 2006 | 1.31 billion | +0.6% |
| 2007 | 1.32 billion | +0.5% |
| 2008 | 1.32 billion | +0.5% |
| 2009 | 1.33 billion | +0.5% |
| 2010 | 1.34 billion | +0.5% |
| 2011 | 1.35 billion | +0.5% |
| 2012 | 1.35 billion | +0.7% |
| 2013 | 1.36 billion | +0.7% |
| 2014 | 1.37 billion | +0.6% |
| 2015 | 1.38 billion | +0.6% |
| 2016 | 1.39 billion | +0.6% |
| 2017 | 1.40 billion | +0.6% |
| 2018 | 1.40 billion | +0.5% |
| 2019 | 1.41 billion | +0.4% |
| 2020 | 1.41 billion | +0.2% |
| 2021 | 1.41 billion | +0.1% |
| 2022 | 1.41 billion | -0.0% |
| 2023 | 1.41 billion | -0.1% |
| 2024 | 1.41 billion | -0.1% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 1.41 billion is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 6.59 million, 213.9× the median. (57 countries reporting)
- China's 1.41 billion is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 5.69 million, 247.7× the median. (28 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 714.95 million | 660.33 million | 796.02 million | 10 |
| 1970s | 901.94 million | 818.32 million | 969.00 million | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.05 billion | 981.24 million | 1.12 billion | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.20 billion | 1.14 billion | 1.25 billion | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.30 billion | 1.26 billion | 1.33 billion | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.37 billion | 1.34 billion | 1.41 billion | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.41 billion | 1.41 billion | 1.41 billion | 5 |
Countries ranked near China
More gender data for China
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) 169,741 (2030)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth -5.36 % change on previous year (2030)
- Population 1.23 million (2030)
- Working-age population (UN estimates and projections) 1.23 million (2030)
- Population (UN estimates and projections), annual growth rate 0.4481 % change on previous year (2030)
- Age population, age 00, female, interpolated 4.15 million (2025)
- Age population, age 00, male, interpolated 4.56 million (2025)
- Age population, age 01, female, interpolated 4.18 million (2025)
- Age population, age 01, male, interpolated 4.62 million (2025)
- Age population, age 02, female, interpolated 4.32 million (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population in China?
- Population in China was 1.41 billion in 2024, according to International Monetary Fund.
- What is the highest population recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 1.41 billion in 2021.
- What is the lowest population recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 660.33 million in 1961.
- How does China rank for population?
- China ranks 2nd out of 186 countries with data for 2024.
- Is population rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this China data come from?
- The figures come from International Monetary Fund, published as part of Population. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 65 observations, free to reuse under IMF Terms and Conditions (attribution required).
About this data
Data on Gender-disaggregated on selected population characteristics.