Rural population, per square kilometre in China
China: Rural population, per square kilometre was 51.8 units per square kilometre in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
51.8 units per square kilometre
Change on year
down 1.0%
World rank
62nd
of 215 countries
All-time high
91.07 units per square kilometre
in 1995
All-time low
51.8 units per square kilometre
in 2023
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Rural population, per square kilometre in China, 1961–2023
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in units per square kilometre.
Analysis
The most recent figure for rural population, per square kilometre in China is 51.8 units per square kilometre, measured in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 63 years on record.
That represents a change of down 1.0% on the previous year and down 21.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, rural population, per square kilometre in China peaked at 91.07 units per square kilometre in 1995 and was at its lowest, 51.8 units per square kilometre, in 2023.
That places China 62nd out of 215 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 63 years of available data.
Rural population, per square kilometre in China, year by year
| Year | units per square kilometre | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 56.77 units per square kilometre | — |
| 1962 | 58.63 units per square kilometre | +3.3% |
| 1963 | 60.44 units per square kilometre | +3.1% |
| 1964 | 60.77 units per square kilometre | +0.5% |
| 1965 | 62.48 units per square kilometre | +2.8% |
| 1966 | 64.34 units per square kilometre | +3.0% |
| 1967 | 66.11 units per square kilometre | +2.8% |
| 1968 | 67.96 units per square kilometre | +2.8% |
| 1969 | 69.95 units per square kilometre | +2.9% |
| 1970 | 72.01 units per square kilometre | +2.9% |
| 1971 | 74.13 units per square kilometre | +2.9% |
| 1972 | 76.09 units per square kilometre | +2.6% |
| 1973 | 77.78 units per square kilometre | +2.2% |
| 1974 | 79.44 units per square kilometre | +2.1% |
| 1975 | 80.68 units per square kilometre | +1.6% |
| 1976 | 81.85 units per square kilometre | +1.4% |
| 1977 | 82.86 units per square kilometre | +1.2% |
| 1978 | 83.6 units per square kilometre | +0.9% |
| 1979 | 83.64 units per square kilometre | +0.1% |
| 1980 | 84.25 units per square kilometre | +0.7% |
| 1981 | 84.53 units per square kilometre | +0.3% |
| 1982 | 85.34 units per square kilometre | +1.0% |
| 1983 | 85.43 units per square kilometre | +0.1% |
| 1984 | 85.02 units per square kilometre | -0.5% |
| 1985 | 85.41 units per square kilometre | +0.5% |
| 1986 | 85.76 units per square kilometre | +0.4% |
| 1987 | 86.23 units per square kilometre | +0.5% |
| 1988 | 87.05 units per square kilometre | +0.9% |
| 1989 | 87.92 units per square kilometre | +1.0% |
| 1990 | 89.24 units per square kilometre | +1.5% |
| 1991 | 89.55 units per square kilometre | +0.4% |
| 1992 | 90.01 units per square kilometre | +0.5% |
| 1993 | 90.39 units per square kilometre | +0.4% |
| 1994 | 90.76 units per square kilometre | +0.4% |
| 1995 | 91.07 units per square kilometre | +0.3% |
| 1996 | 90.16 units per square kilometre | -1.0% |
| 1997 | 89.21 units per square kilometre | -1.0% |
| 1998 | 88.17 units per square kilometre | -1.2% |
| 1999 | 87.03 units per square kilometre | -1.3% |
| 2000 | 85.49 units per square kilometre | -1.8% |
| 2001 | 84.45 units per square kilometre | -1.2% |
| 2002 | 83.07 units per square kilometre | -1.6% |
| 2003 | 81.61 units per square kilometre | -1.8% |
| 2004 | 80.4 units per square kilometre | -1.5% |
| 2005 | 79.17 units per square kilometre | -1.5% |
| 2006 | 77.72 units per square kilometre | -1.8% |
| 2007 | 75.96 units per square kilometre | -2.3% |
| 2008 | 74.8 units per square kilometre | -1.5% |
| 2009 | 73.25 units per square kilometre | -2.1% |
| 2010 | 72.34 units per square kilometre | -1.3% |
| 2011 | 69.01 units per square kilometre | -4.6% |
| 2012 | 67.65 units per square kilometre | -2.0% |
| 2013 | 66.08 units per square kilometre | -2.3% |
| 2014 | 64.66 units per square kilometre | -2.2% |
| 2015 | 62.72 units per square kilometre | -3.0% |
| 2016 | 60.84 units per square kilometre | -3.0% |
| 2017 | 59.13 units per square kilometre | -2.8% |
| 2018 | 57.53 units per square kilometre | -2.7% |
| 2019 | 55.92 units per square kilometre | -2.8% |
| 2020 | 54.83 units per square kilometre | -1.9% |
| 2021 | 53.07 units per square kilometre | -3.2% |
| 2022 | 52.32 units per square kilometre | -1.4% |
| 2023 | 51.8 units per square kilometre | -1.0% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 51.8 units per square kilometre is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 27.02 units per square kilometre, 1.9× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- China's 51.8 units per square kilometre is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 27.04 units per square kilometre, 1.9× the median. (37 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 63.05 units per square kilometre | 56.77 units per square kilometre | 69.95 units per square kilometre | 9 |
| 1970s | 79.21 units per square kilometre | 72.01 units per square kilometre | 83.64 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1980s | 85.69 units per square kilometre | 84.25 units per square kilometre | 87.92 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1990s | 89.56 units per square kilometre | 87.03 units per square kilometre | 91.07 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2000s | 79.59 units per square kilometre | 73.25 units per square kilometre | 85.49 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2010s | 63.59 units per square kilometre | 55.92 units per square kilometre | 72.34 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2020s | 53 units per square kilometre | 51.8 units per square kilometre | 54.83 units per square kilometre | 4 |
Countries ranked near China
- 59 Lebanon 53.88 units per square kilometre compare
- 60 Eswatini 53.08 units per square kilometre compare
- 61 Slovakia 52.83 units per square kilometre compare
- 63 Azerbaijan 50.98 units per square kilometre compare
- 64 Tanzania 48.53 units per square kilometre compare
- 65 Cyprus 48.51 units per square kilometre compare
More agriculture & rural data for China
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 1.98 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0666 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 923.03 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate -1.48 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.3366 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 6.7% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 6.7% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.3% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 2.7% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is rural population, per square kilometre in China?
- Rural population, per square kilometre in China was 51.8 units per square kilometre in 2023, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest rural population, per square kilometre recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 91.07 units per square kilometre in 1995.
- What is the lowest rural population, per square kilometre recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 51.8 units per square kilometre in 2023.
- How does China rank for rural population, per square kilometre?
- China ranks 62nd out of 215 countries with data for 2023.
- Is rural population, per square kilometre rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is down 21.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this China data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Rural population, per square kilometre. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 63 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
Rural population divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.
Rural population ÷ Land area (sq. km)
Computed from
- Rural population World Urbanization Prospects, United Nations (UN)
- Land area FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
Rural population divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.