Chinese Demographics in 10 Numbers

As a standard American who goes to work, comes home, sleeps, and repeats, I’ve been told that China should be viewed with suspicion. To help better understand that which must not be trusted, I’ve condensed Chinese demographics into 10 numbers.

 

1.4 billion

The approximate population of China. The vast majority lives in what is called mainland China, a term that excludes Hong Kong (a special administrative region), Macau (another special administrative region), and Taiwan (whose status is a point of contention). While the impressive number of residents explains the country’s position on top of a list of countries/territories by PPP-adjusted GDP (just ahead of the US), it also explains why that ranking falls to 100 when expressed per capita (compared to 15 for the US).

 

94

The percent of China’s population that lives east of the imaginary Heihe-Tengchong Line. West of the line is 57 percent of the country’s land but only 6 percent of the population.

 

91.11

The percent of China’s population that is Han Chinese, the world’s largest ethnic group. The remaining 8.89 percent is comprised of ethnic minorities, with 55 such groups being officially recognized by the government.

 

0.06

The approximate percent of people living in mainland China originating from other countries (not including Taiwan).

 

73.56

The percent of the Chinese population that is religiously unaffiliated or practices a folk religion. While the Chinese Communist Party is officially atheist, the government formally recognizes five religions, namely Buddhism, Catholicism, Islam, Protestantism, and Taoism. With regards to Islam, perhaps 0.45 percent of the country as a whole is Muslim, but that number is closer to 58 percent in the autonomous region of Xinjiang, home to the Uyghur ethnic group (one of the aforementioned ethnic minorities).

 

77.4

The average life expectancy (in years) in China. As a point of comparison, the number is 84.3 in Japan, 78.4 in the United States, and 73.3 across the entire world.

 

1980

The year of the official start to China’s one-child policy, implemented to counteract what was felt to be an unsustainable population growth rate. The policy was quite effective in achieving its goal—probably too effective as the numbers below will show—and it was retired in 2016, at which point two children were allowed. As of 2021, couples can have as many as three children.

 

17.8

The percent of China’s population that is younger than age 15. Compare that to 18.5 percent in the United States, 26.6 percent in India, and 49.8 percent in Niger.

 

0.034

China’s population growth rate (expressed as a percent) in 2021.

 

2022

The year China’s population growth rate became a negative number, meaning the world’s most-populated country began to shrink.

 

To learn more about Chinese demographics, as always, I suggest Wikipedia. But remember, don’t trust anyone.