Share of the population that is female in China

China: Share of the population that is female was 49.1% in 2025. ▬ Flat

Latest (2025)
49.1%
Change on year
up 0.1%
World rank
188th
of 215 countries
All-time high
49.1%
in 1984
All-time low
48.8%
in 2013
Years of data
66
1960–2025

Share of the population that is female in China, 1960–2025

01020304050196019922025

Source: United Nations Population Division and World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of total.

Analysis

The most recent figure for share of the population that is female in China is 49.1%, measured in 2025.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.1% on the previous year and up 0.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of the population that is female in China peaked at 49.1% in 1984 and was at its lowest, 48.8%, in 2013.

That places China 188th out of 215 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1960s 49.0% 48.9% 49.1% 10
1970s 49.1% 49.1% 49.1% 10
1980s 49.1% 49.1% 49.1% 10
1990s 49.0% 48.9% 49.1% 10
2000s 48.9% 48.8% 48.9% 10
2010s 48.8% 48.8% 48.9% 10
2020s 49.0% 48.9% 49.1% 6

Countries ranked near China

  1. 185 Cape Verde 49.1% compare
  2. 186 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 49.1% compare
  3. 187 Nauru 49.1% compare
  4. 189 Algeria 49.0% compare
  5. 190 Andorra 48.9% compare
  6. 191 Solomon Islands 48.9% compare

See the full ranking of 215 places →

More gender data for China

All data for China →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of the population that is female in China?
Share of the population that is female in China was 49.1% in 2025, according to United Nations Population Division and World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest share of the population that is female recorded in China?
The highest recorded value was 49.1% in 1984.
What is the lowest share of the population that is female recorded in China?
The lowest recorded value was 48.8% in 2013.
How does China rank for share of the population that is female?
China ranks 188th out of 215 countries with data for 2025.
Is share of the population that is female rising or falling in China?
Over the last ten years it is up 0.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
Where does this China data come from?
The figures come from United Nations Population Division and World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of the population that is female. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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About this data

Indicator
Share of the population that is female
Unit
% of total
Source
United Nations Population Division and World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
215 places, 14,190 data points, 1960–2025
Last refreshed