Africa vs China, mainland: Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population

Africa
1.49 million 1000 No
in 2050
China, mainland
1.09 million 1000 No
in 2050
Africa rank
3rd
China, mainland rank
2nd

Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population over time

  • Africa
  • China, mainland
0500.0k1.0M1.5M195020002050

How they compare

Africa currently reports 1.49 million 1000 No against 1.09 million 1000 No in China, mainland, a difference of 396,970 1000 No.

That makes Africa's figure about 1.4 times China, mainland's.

The two have swapped places 1 time across 101 shared years of data; in 1950 it was China, mainland ahead.

Africa ranks 3rd and China, mainland ranks 2nd of 29 groups.

Across the 11 decades both report, Africa averaged higher in 2 and China, mainland in 9.

Head to head by decade

Decade Africa China, mainland Difference Ahead
1950s 40,880 1000 No 83,088 1000 No 42,208 1000 No China, mainland
1960s 65,339 1000 No 126,513 1000 No 61,174 1000 No China, mainland
1970s 101,780 1000 No 159,278 1000 No 57,498 1000 No China, mainland
1980s 158,399 1000 No 241,697 1000 No 83,298 1000 No China, mainland
1990s 237,885 1000 No 376,833 1000 No 138,948 1000 No China, mainland
2000s 336,907 1000 No 552,082 1000 No 215,175 1000 No China, mainland
2010s 484,805 1000 No 764,130 1000 No 279,325 1000 No China, mainland
2020s 688,965 1000 No 945,979 1000 No 257,014 1000 No China, mainland
2030s 954,072 1000 No 1.05 million 1000 No 99,216 1000 No China, mainland
2040s 1.28 million 1000 No 1.09 million 1000 No 193,948 1000 No Africa
2050s 1.49 million 1000 No 1.09 million 1000 No 396,970 1000 No Africa

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher population - est. & proj. — urban population, Africa or China, mainland?
Africa, at 1.49 million 1000 No against 1.09 million 1000 No in China, mainland as of 2050.
What is the difference in population - est. & proj. — urban population between Africa and China, mainland?
396,970 1000 No, with Africa ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Africa and China, mainland?
101 years are reported by both, from 1950 to 2050.
How do Africa and China, mainland rank globally for population - est. & proj. — urban population?
Africa ranks 3rd and China, mainland ranks 2nd of 29 groups.
Where does this data come from?
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, published as Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Africa vs China, mainland: Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population. Statizoid, drawing on Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Retrieved 29 August 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/compare/population-est-and-proj-urban-population/africa/china-mainland/

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About this data

Indicator
Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population
Unit
1000 No
Source
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Licence
CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (FAO)
Coverage
277 places, 25,744 data points, 1950–2050
Last refreshed

The FAOSTAT Population module contains time series data on population, by sex and urban/rural. The series consist of both estimates and projections for different periods as available from the original sources, namely: 1. Population data refers to the World Population Prospects: The 2024 Revision from the UN Population Division. 2. Urban/rural population data refers to the World Urbanization Prospects: The 2018 Revision from the UN Population Division.