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China: Rural population

In , China's Rural population was 480.54 million.

That's down 1.2% from 2023, the highest value since .

The global average for this indicator in 2024 was 15,899,365.08 . China ranks #2 globally out of 217 reporting countries. Within East Asia & Pacific, it ranks #1 of 37.

Source: World Bank Open Data (SP.RUR.TOTL) • Data as of 2024

Trend (2005–2024)

China Rural population trend 2020: COVID-19 pandemic
  • 2020 · COVID-19 pandemic

Highlights

Peak
743.25M
Trough
480.54M
1-year change
-1.2%
5-year change
-8.5%
-1.8% / yr
10-year change
-20.8%
-2.3% / yr

Historical Data — Last 10 Years

Year Rural population
480.535M
486.270M
491.188M
498.265M
514.721M
524.949M
540.060M
555.131M
571.215M
588.789M

About Rural population

Rural population refers to people living in rural areas as defined by national statistical offices. It is calculated as the difference between total population and urban population. Aggregation of urban and rural population may not add up to total population because of different country coverages.

Indicator code: SP.RUR.TOTLCategory: Health & Population

Frequently asked questions

What was China's Rural population in 2024?
In 2024, China's Rural population was 480.54 million, according to World Bank Open Data.
Is China's Rural population rising or falling?
China's Rural population fell 1.2% from 2023 to 2024.
How does China rank globally on Rural population?
In 2024, China ranked #2 out of 217 countries reporting Rural population.
How does China's Rural population compare to the world average?
The global average for Rural population in 2024 was 15.90 million, so China is above the world average. Within East Asia & Pacific, it ranks #1 of 37.
What is Rural population and how is it measured?
Rural population refers to people living in rural areas as defined by national statistical offices. It is calculated as the difference between total population and urban population. Aggregation of urban and rural population may not add up to total population because of different country coverages.
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Source: World Bank Open Data (SP.RUR.TOTL), CC BY 4.0.