Population of China
As of June 2026, the population of China is 1.4 billion. The number of inhabitants has decreased by 1 million in the last year, representing a decline of 0.08%. The median age of the population has increased in recent years, rising from 35.9 years in 2016 to 40.5 years in 2026. Currently, life expectancy at birth is 79.4 years and population density is 148.3 inhabitants per square kilometer.
Population Growth
The population growth rate of China peaked in 1963, reaching around 3.26% annually, but has since declined to approximately -0.09% in 2026. The annual increase in the number of people has also decreased from a peak of around 22.29 million in 1963 to nearly -1.29 million in 2026.
Life Expectancy
In China, life expectancy at birth has been increasing, with the indicator rising from 74.5 years in 2006 to 79.4 years in 2026, representing an increase of almost 5 years over the past 2 decades.
Most populous cities in China
China stands out for its enormous cities, with 7 of them exceeding 10 million inhabitants. The most populous city is Shanghai, with approximately 24.9 million inhabitants. It is followed by Beijing with 19 million and Shenzhen, Guangdong with 17.5 million.
These are the 20 most populous cities in China:
| # | City | Population |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shanghai | 24,874,500 |
| 2 | Beijing | 18,960,744 |
| 3 | Shenzhen, Guangdong | 17,494,398 |
| 4 | Guangzhou, Guangdong | 16,096,724 |
| 5 | Chengdu, Sichuan | 13,568,357 |
| 6 | Tianjin | 11,090,314 |
| 7 | Wuhan, Hubei | 10,392,693 |
| 8 | Dongguan, Guangdong | 9,644,871 |
| 9 | Xi’an, Shaanxi | 9,600,000 |
| 10 | Nanjing, Jiangsu | 9,314,685 |
| # | City | Population |
|---|---|---|
| 11 | Hangzhou, Zhejiang | 9,236,032 |
| 12 | Foshan, Guangdong | 9,042,509 |
| 13 | Chongqing | 7,457,599 |
| 14 | Wuzhong, Ningxia | 7,202,654 |
| 15 | Qingdao, Shandong | 7,172,451 |
| 16 | Shenyang, Liaoning | 7,050,000 |
| 17 | Suzhou, Jiangsu | 6,715,559 |
| 18 | Pudong, Shanghai | 5,681,512 |
| 19 | Harbin, Heilongjiang | 5,242,897 |
| 20 | Hefei, Anhui | 5,050,000 |