China Population Clock
China has an estimated population of about 1.41 billion, which makes it the 2nd most populous of the 115 countries tracked here.
Its population is slowly shrinking, at -0.17% a year.
The capital is Beijing.
The counter below is a live estimate interpolated from the World Bank's latest annual figures — not a real-time measurement. It links to its source, base year and method via the ⓘ next to it.
Statistics
Population trend
Population 2016–2025 (World Bank)
Why China's population is changing
China's population has begun to shrink. After peaking around 2022, it stood at about 1.41 billion in 2025 and is now falling by roughly 0.17% a year — the first sustained decline in over sixty years, and the reason India has overtaken it as the world's most populous country.
The driver is exceptionally low fertility: about 1.0 children per woman, less than half the 2.1 replacement level and among the lowest recorded anywhere. Decades of the one-child policy, high urban living costs and later marriage have pushed annual births below deaths.
China is also ageing quickly — nearly 15% of people are 65 or older while only 15% are under 15, an unusually top-heavy age structure. A shrinking working-age base supporting a growing retired population is the central challenge behind the headline decline.
Population outlook
At the current 0.17% annual decline, China is on course to fall to 1.4 billion around 2028, and 1.3 billion around 2072. These compound today's rate and are illustrative projections, not forecasts.
Age structure
A large under-15 share signals continued growth as that generation reaches working and child-bearing age.
In the region
How China (#2, 1.41 billion) compares with its neighbours by population:
See China on the World Atlas for its location and borders.
How China's population is changing
China records about 26,071 births and 29,884 deaths a day — more deaths than births. Natural change is therefore negative, at roughly 3,813 fewer people per day, or about 1.39 million a year before migration.
Net migration runs at about 268,126 over the reported period, with more people leaving than arriving. That is equivalent to about 19% of its natural change.
Over the 9 years from 2016 to 2025, the population rose from 1.39 billion to 1.41 billion — a gain of 18.8 million, or 1.4%.
Where people live in China
With about 150 people per square kilometre, China is densely populated, roughly 2.4× the world average of 62. That ranks 32nd of the 115 countries here. Its closest comparisons on density are Denmark and Indonesia.
China covers about 9,388,210 km² of land, which is what turns a population of 1.41 billion into that density figure.
About 66.3% of people live in urban areas, making China majority urban, above the world average of 57.8%. That works out to roughly 933.2 million town and city dwellers and 473.4 million living rurally.
Age, fertility and life expectancy in China
China has an ageing population: about 15.4% are under 15 and 14.9% are 65 or older.
The total fertility rate is about 1.01 births per woman, below the ~2.1 replacement level, so without net immigration the population would eventually decline. The world figure is about 2.19.
Life expectancy at birth is about 78.0 years, roughly 4.5 years above the global average of 73.5.
China at a glance
| Indicator | Value | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 1.41 billion | 2025 |
| World rank by population | #2 | 2025 |
| Annual growth rate | -0.17% | 2025 |
| Population density | 150 /km² | 2023 |
| Land area | 9,388,210 km² | 2023 |
| Urban population | 66.3% | 2025 |
| Life expectancy at birth | 78.0 years | 2024 |
| Fertility rate | 1.01 births per woman | 2024 |
| Population under 15 | 15.4% | 2025 |
| Population 65 and over | 14.9% | 2025 |
| Net migration | -268,126 | 2025 |
| Births per day | 26,071 | 2025 |
| Deaths per day | 29,884 | 2025 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of China?
Is China's population growing or shrinking?
How densely populated is China?
Where do these China figures come from?
Current local time in China
Methodology & sources
Data: World Bank (CC BY 4.0), base year 2025. The live counter animates the latest annual growth rate per second; it is an estimate, not a real-time measurement. No figures are invented — every number traces back to the World Bank indicators listed above.
Source: World Bank