Do more people live in urban or rural areas? in China
China: Do more people live in urban or rural areas? was 66.3% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
66.3%
Change on year
up 0.7%
World rank
117th
of 238 countries
All-time high
66.3%
in 2025
All-time low
5.0%
in 1400
Years of data
108
1000–2025
Do more people live in urban or rural areas? in China, 1000–2025
Source: HYDE (2023); United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2025, do more people live in urban or rural areas? in China stood at 66.3%. That is the highest value across all 108 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.7% on the previous year and up 15.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, do more people live in urban or rural areas? in China peaked at 66.3% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 5.0%, in 1400.
That places China 117th out of 238 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Do more people live in urban or rural areas? in China, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1000 | 5.0% | — |
| 1100 | 5.0% | +0.0% |
| 1200 | 5.0% | +0.0% |
| 1300 | 5.0% | +0.0% |
| 1400 | 5.0% | -0.0% |
| 1500 | 6.5% | +30.0% |
| 1600 | 7.0% | +7.7% |
| 1700 | 6.0% | -14.3% |
| 1710 | 6.0% | +0.0% |
| 1720 | 6.0% | +0.0% |
| 1730 | 6.0% | +0.0% |
| 1740 | 6.0% | +0.0% |
| 1750 | 6.0% | +0.0% |
| 1760 | 6.0% | +0.0% |
| 1770 | 6.0% | +0.0% |
| 1780 | 6.0% | +0.0% |
| 1790 | 6.0% | +0.0% |
| 1800 | 6.0% | -0.0% |
| 1810 | 6.0% | +0.0% |
| 1820 | 6.0% | -0.0% |
| 1830 | 6.1% | +1.0% |
| 1840 | 6.1% | +1.0% |
| 1850 | 6.2% | +1.0% |
| 1860 | 6.2% | +1.0% |
| 1870 | 6.3% | +1.0% |
| 1880 | 6.4% | +1.0% |
| 1890 | 6.4% | +1.0% |
| 1900 | 6.5% | +1.0% |
| 1910 | 6.6% | +1.0% |
| 1920 | 6.6% | +1.0% |
| 1930 | 7.0% | +5.6% |
| 1940 | 8.0% | +14.3% |
| 1950 | 11.2% | +39.8% |
| 1951 | 11.8% | +5.4% |
| 1952 | 12.5% | +5.8% |
| 1953 | 13.0% | +4.3% |
| 1954 | 13.7% | +5.3% |
| 1955 | 13.5% | -1.5% |
| 1956 | 14.6% | +8.5% |
| 1957 | 15.4% | +5.3% |
| 1958 | 16.2% | +5.6% |
| 1959 | 18.4% | +13.3% |
| 1960 | 19.7% | +7.3% |
| 1961 | 19.3% | -2.3% |
| 1962 | 17.3% | -10.2% |
| 1963 | 16.8% | -2.8% |
| 1964 | 18.3% | +8.7% |
| 1965 | 18.0% | -1.7% |
| 1966 | 17.9% | -0.7% |
| 1967 | 17.7% | -0.7% |
| 1968 | 17.6% | -0.7% |
| 1969 | 17.5% | -0.7% |
| 1970 | 17.4% | -0.7% |
| 1971 | 17.3% | -0.7% |
| 1972 | 17.1% | -0.7% |
| 1973 | 17.2% | +0.4% |
| 1974 | 17.2% | -0.2% |
| 1975 | 17.3% | +1.1% |
| 1976 | 17.4% | +0.5% |
| 1977 | 17.6% | +0.7% |
| 1978 | 17.9% | +2.1% |
| 1979 | 19.0% | +5.8% |
| 1980 | 19.4% | +2.3% |
| 1981 | 20.2% | +3.9% |
| 1982 | 20.6% | +2.0% |
| 1983 | 21.6% | +5.1% |
| 1984 | 23.0% | +6.4% |
| 1985 | 23.7% | +3.0% |
| 1986 | 24.5% | +3.5% |
| 1987 | 25.3% | +3.2% |
| 1988 | 25.8% | +2.0% |
| 1989 | 26.2% | +1.5% |
| 1990 | 26.2% | -0.1% |
| 1991 | 26.9% | +2.8% |
| 1992 | 27.5% | +1.9% |
| 1993 | 28.0% | +1.9% |
| 1994 | 28.5% | +1.9% |
| 1995 | 29.0% | +1.9% |
| 1996 | 30.5% | +5.0% |
| 1997 | 31.9% | +4.7% |
| 1998 | 33.4% | +4.5% |
| 1999 | 34.8% | +4.3% |
| 2000 | 36.4% | +4.8% |
| 2001 | 37.7% | +3.4% |
| 2002 | 39.1% | +3.8% |
| 2003 | 40.5% | +3.7% |
| 2004 | 41.8% | +3.0% |
| 2005 | 43.0% | +2.9% |
| 2006 | 44.3% | +3.1% |
| 2007 | 45.9% | +3.5% |
| 2008 | 47.0% | +2.4% |
| 2009 | 48.3% | +2.9% |
| 2010 | 49.2% | +1.8% |
| 2011 | 51.8% | +5.3% |
| 2012 | 53.1% | +2.5% |
| 2013 | 54.5% | +2.6% |
| 2014 | 55.8% | +2.3% |
| 2015 | 57.3% | +2.8% |
| 2016 | 58.8% | +2.6% |
| 2017 | 60.2% | +2.4% |
| 2018 | 61.5% | +2.1% |
| 2019 | 62.7% | +2.0% |
| 2020 | 63.5% | +1.3% |
| 2021 | 64.7% | +1.9% |
| 2022 | 65.2% | +0.8% |
| 2023 | 65.5% | +0.5% |
| 2024 | 65.9% | +0.6% |
| 2025 | 66.3% | +0.7% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 66.3% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 65.5%, 1.0× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- China's 66.3% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 65.4%, 1.0× the median. (37 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Do more people live in urban or rural areas? in China changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | +39.8% | 8.0% | 11.2% |
| 1500 | +30.0% | 5.0% | 6.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1000s | 5.0% | 5.0% | 5.0% | 1 |
| 1100s | 5.0% | 5.0% | 5.0% | 1 |
| 1200s | 5.0% | 5.0% | 5.0% | 1 |
| 1300s | 5.0% | 5.0% | 5.0% | 1 |
| 1400s | 5.0% | 5.0% | 5.0% | 1 |
| 1500s | 6.5% | 6.5% | 6.5% | 1 |
| 1600s | 7.0% | 7.0% | 7.0% | 1 |
| 1700s | 6.0% | 6.0% | 6.0% | 1 |
| 1710s | 6.0% | 6.0% | 6.0% | 1 |
| 1720s | 6.0% | 6.0% | 6.0% | 1 |
| 1730s | 6.0% | 6.0% | 6.0% | 1 |
| 1740s | 6.0% | 6.0% | 6.0% | 1 |
| 1750s | 6.0% | 6.0% | 6.0% | 1 |
| 1760s | 6.0% | 6.0% | 6.0% | 1 |
| 1770s | 6.0% | 6.0% | 6.0% | 1 |
| 1780s | 6.0% | 6.0% | 6.0% | 1 |
| 1790s | 6.0% | 6.0% | 6.0% | 1 |
| 1800s | 6.0% | 6.0% | 6.0% | 1 |
| 1810s | 6.0% | 6.0% | 6.0% | 1 |
| 1820s | 6.0% | 6.0% | 6.0% | 1 |
| 1830s | 6.1% | 6.1% | 6.1% | 1 |
| 1840s | 6.1% | 6.1% | 6.1% | 1 |
| 1850s | 6.2% | 6.2% | 6.2% | 1 |
| 1860s | 6.2% | 6.2% | 6.2% | 1 |
| 1870s | 6.3% | 6.3% | 6.3% | 1 |
| 1880s | 6.4% | 6.4% | 6.4% | 1 |
| 1890s | 6.4% | 6.4% | 6.4% | 1 |
| 1900s | 6.5% | 6.5% | 6.5% | 1 |
| 1910s | 6.6% | 6.6% | 6.6% | 1 |
| 1920s | 6.6% | 6.6% | 6.6% | 1 |
| 1930s | 7.0% | 7.0% | 7.0% | 1 |
| 1940s | 8.0% | 8.0% | 8.0% | 1 |
| 1950s | 14.0% | 11.2% | 18.4% | 10 |
| 1960s | 18.0% | 16.8% | 19.7% | 10 |
| 1970s | 17.5% | 17.1% | 19.0% | 10 |
| 1980s | 23.0% | 19.4% | 26.2% | 10 |
| 1990s | 29.7% | 26.2% | 34.8% | 10 |
| 2000s | 42.4% | 36.4% | 48.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 56.5% | 49.2% | 62.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 65.2% | 63.5% | 66.3% | 6 |
Countries ranked near China
More reference data data for China
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 49.4 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 75.5 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 303.29 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 18.8 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 303.29 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 165.62 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 206.2 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 350.74 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 1,480 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 102.37 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is do more people live in urban or rural areas? in China?
- Do more people live in urban or rural areas? in China was 66.3% in 2025, according to HYDE (2023); United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest do more people live in urban or rural areas? recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 66.3% in 2025.
- What is the lowest do more people live in urban or rural areas? recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.0% in 1400.
- How does China rank for do more people live in urban or rural areas??
- China ranks 117th out of 238 countries with data for 2025.
- Is do more people live in urban or rural areas? rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is up 15.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this China data come from?
- The figures come from HYDE (2023); United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Do more people live in urban or rural areas?. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 108 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Share of the population living in urban areas, combining UN estimates with modeled historical data.