Population density in China
China: Population density was 150.26 people per sq. km of land area in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
150.26 people per sq. km of land area
Change on year
down 0.1%
World rank
73rd
of 215 countries
All-time high
150.44 people per sq. km of land area
in 2021
All-time low
70.34 people per sq. km of land area
in 1961
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Population density in China, 1961–2023
Source: FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Measured in people per sq. km of land area.
Analysis
The most recent figure for population density in China is 150.26 people per sq. km of land area, measured in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.1% on the previous year and up 3.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population density in China peaked at 150.44 people per sq. km of land area in 2021 and was at its lowest, 70.34 people per sq. km of land area, in 1961.
China ranks 73rd of 215 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 63 years of available data.
Population density in China, year by year
| Year | people per sq. km of land area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 70.34 people per sq. km of land area | — |
| 1962 | 70.92 people per sq. km of land area | +0.8% |
| 1963 | 72.68 people per sq. km of land area | +2.5% |
| 1964 | 74.39 people per sq. km of land area | +2.3% |
| 1965 | 76.18 people per sq. km of land area | +2.4% |
| 1966 | 78.33 people per sq. km of land area | +2.8% |
| 1967 | 80.37 people per sq. km of land area | +2.6% |
| 1968 | 82.5 people per sq. km of land area | +2.6% |
| 1969 | 84.79 people per sq. km of land area | +2.8% |
| 1970 | 87.16 people per sq. km of land area | +2.8% |
| 1971 | 89.59 people per sq. km of land area | +2.8% |
| 1972 | 91.82 people per sq. km of land area | +2.5% |
| 1973 | 93.94 people per sq. km of land area | +2.3% |
| 1974 | 95.9 people per sq. km of land area | +2.1% |
| 1975 | 97.61 people per sq. km of land area | +1.8% |
| 1976 | 99.13 people per sq. km of land area | +1.6% |
| 1977 | 100.49 people per sq. km of land area | +1.4% |
| 1978 | 101.85 people per sq. km of land area | +1.3% |
| 1979 | 103.22 people per sq. km of land area | +1.3% |
| 1980 | 104.52 people per sq. km of land area | +1.3% |
| 1981 | 105.86 people per sq. km of land area | +1.3% |
| 1982 | 107.44 people per sq. km of land area | +1.5% |
| 1983 | 109 people per sq. km of land area | +1.5% |
| 1984 | 110.44 people per sq. km of land area | +1.3% |
| 1985 | 111.95 people per sq. km of land area | +1.4% |
| 1986 | 113.63 people per sq. km of land area | +1.5% |
| 1987 | 115.47 people per sq. km of land area | +1.6% |
| 1988 | 117.34 people per sq. km of land area | +1.6% |
| 1989 | 119.15 people per sq. km of land area | +1.5% |
| 1990 | 120.92 people per sq. km of land area | +1.5% |
| 1991 | 122.58 people per sq. km of land area | +1.4% |
| 1992 | 124.09 people per sq. km of land area | +1.2% |
| 1993 | 125.52 people per sq. km of land area | +1.2% |
| 1994 | 126.95 people per sq. km of land area | +1.1% |
| 1995 | 128.34 people per sq. km of land area | +1.1% |
| 1996 | 129.69 people per sq. km of land area | +1.1% |
| 1997 | 131.02 people per sq. km of land area | +1.0% |
| 1998 | 132.29 people per sq. km of land area | +1.0% |
| 1999 | 133.44 people per sq. km of land area | +0.9% |
| 2000 | 134.49 people per sq. km of land area | +0.8% |
| 2001 | 135.47 people per sq. km of land area | +0.7% |
| 2002 | 136.38 people per sq. km of land area | +0.7% |
| 2003 | 137.24 people per sq. km of land area | +0.6% |
| 2004 | 138.05 people per sq. km of land area | +0.6% |
| 2005 | 138.87 people per sq. km of land area | +0.6% |
| 2006 | 139.65 people per sq. km of land area | +0.6% |
| 2007 | 140.38 people per sq. km of land area | +0.5% |
| 2008 | 141.1 people per sq. km of land area | +0.5% |
| 2009 | 141.8 people per sq. km of land area | +0.5% |
| 2010 | 142.49 people per sq. km of land area | +0.5% |
| 2011 | 143.27 people per sq. km of land area | +0.5% |
| 2012 | 144.24 people per sq. km of land area | +0.7% |
| 2013 | 145.21 people per sq. km of land area | +0.7% |
| 2014 | 146.13 people per sq. km of land area | +0.6% |
| 2015 | 146.98 people per sq. km of land area | +0.6% |
| 2016 | 147.82 people per sq. km of land area | +0.6% |
| 2017 | 148.72 people per sq. km of land area | +0.6% |
| 2018 | 149.42 people per sq. km of land area | +0.5% |
| 2019 | 149.95 people per sq. km of land area | +0.4% |
| 2020 | 150.31 people per sq. km of land area | +0.2% |
| 2021 | 150.44 people per sq. km of land area | +0.1% |
| 2022 | 150.42 people per sq. km of land area | -0.0% |
| 2023 | 150.26 people per sq. km of land area | -0.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 76.72 people per sq. km of land area | 70.34 people per sq. km of land area | 84.79 people per sq. km of land area | 9 |
| 1970s | 96.07 people per sq. km of land area | 87.16 people per sq. km of land area | 103.22 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 1980s | 111.48 people per sq. km of land area | 104.52 people per sq. km of land area | 119.15 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 1990s | 127.48 people per sq. km of land area | 120.92 people per sq. km of land area | 133.44 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2000s | 138.34 people per sq. km of land area | 134.49 people per sq. km of land area | 141.8 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2010s | 146.42 people per sq. km of land area | 142.49 people per sq. km of land area | 149.95 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2020s | 150.36 people per sq. km of land area | 150.26 people per sq. km of land area | 150.44 people per sq. km of land area | 4 |
Countries ranked near China
- 70 Kiribati 163.62 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 71 Micronesia, Federated States of 160.9 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 72 Togo 151.2 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 74 Denmark 148.67 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 75 Indonesia 148.58 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 76 Ghana 148.5 people per sq. km of land area compare
More urban development data for China
- Population in the largest city 3.3% (2025)
- PM2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure 31.99 micrograms per cubic meter (2023)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per capita 0.3272 units per person (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million 460.16 million (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, annual 2.03 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per unit 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per square 47 units per square kilometre (2023)
- Population in largest city 30.48 million (2025)
- Crude steelmaking capacity 1,136 Tonnes (2025)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 23 - Ecological 11,049 Hectares (2020)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population density in China?
- Population density in China was 150.26 people per sq. km of land area in 2023, according to FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
- What is the highest population density recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 150.44 people per sq. km of land area in 2021.
- What is the lowest population density recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 70.34 people per sq. km of land area in 1961.
- How does China rank for population density?
- China ranks 73rd out of 215 countries with data for 2023.
- Is population density rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this China data come from?
- The figures come from FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), published as part of Population density (people per sq. km of land area). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Population density is midyear population divided by land area in square kilometers. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship--except for refugees not permanently settled in the country of asylum, who are generally considered part of the population of their country of origin. Land area is a country's total area, excluding area under inland water bodies, national claims to continental shelf, and exclusive economic zones. In most cases the definition of inland water bodies includes major rivers and lakes.