Population of China, 2017-2050

What is the population of China? The exact answer to this question can be given only on the basis of census data. Population census in China is conducted each 10 years, with the latest (the sixth) conducted in 2010. As of the latest census, the population of China was 1.34 billion.

To get an idea of how many people live in China today, one must rely on estimates. The United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs provides one such estimate. According to the UN, the population of China in 2015 was 1.376 billion, a total population increase of 2.7 percent from 2010 or an average annual population growth rate of 0.5 percent. Although China is currently the most populous country in the world - accounting for 18.7% of the world population, followed by India and the United States - its population growth rate is declining and is expected to become negative by the year 2035. If this estimate holds true, the population of India will surpass China by 2022, making India the most populous country in the world.

China’s population growth is losing steam because starting in 1994 the total fertility rate in China declined below 2 births per woman. If this trend continues, China's population will drop below 2010 levels by the early 2050s, according to UN population forecasts.

See also: When Will India Have More Population than China?

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