What is the highest population - est. & proj. — rural population recorded in China, mainland?

The highest recorded value was 864,477 1000 No in 1992.

What is the lowest population - est. & proj. — rural population recorded in China, mainland?

The lowest recorded value was 272,509 1000 No in 2050.

How does China, mainland rank for population - est. & proj. — rural population?

China, mainland ranks 3rd out of 243 countries with data for 2050.

Is population - est. & proj. — rural population rising or falling in China, mainland?

Over the last ten years it is down 18.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.

Where does this China, mainland data come from?

The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, published as part of Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population in China, mainland

Name: Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population in China, mainland
Creator: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
License: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (FAO)

China, mainland: Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population was 272,509 1000 No in 2050. ▼ Falling

Latest (2050)

272,509 1000 No

Change on year

down 2.1%

World rank

3rd

of 243 countries

All-time high

864,477 1000 No

in 1992

All-time low

272,509 1000 No

in 2050

Years of data

101

1950–2050

Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population in China, mainland, 1950–2050

Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Measured in 1000 No.

Analysis

In 2050, population - est. & proj. — rural population in China, mainland stood at 272,509 1000 No. That is the lowest value across all 101 years on record.

The figure is down 2.1% on the previous year and down 18.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, population - est. & proj. — rural population in China, mainland peaked at 864,477 1000 No in 1992 and was at its lowest, 272,509 1000 No, in 2050.

China, mainland ranks 3rd of 243 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 101 years of available data.

Averages by decade

Decade	Average	Lowest	Highest	Years
1950s	521,412 1000 No	488,983 1000 No	545,835 1000 No	10
1960s	594,903 1000 No	551,124 1000 No	662,729 1000 No	10
1970s	748,774 1000 No	681,275 1000 No	797,455 1000 No	10
1980s	825,648 1000 No	801,485 1000 No	857,092 1000 No	10
1990s	853,526 1000 No	830,739 1000 No	864,477 1000 No	10
2000s	765,643 1000 No	704,698 1000 No	822,822 1000 No	10
2010s	627,920 1000 No	563,653 1000 No	690,402 1000 No	10
2020s	490,003 1000 No	434,382 1000 No	549,472 1000 No	10
2030s	379,984 1000 No	341,237 1000 No	423,334 1000 No	10
2040s	305,629 1000 No	278,383 1000 No	334,009 1000 No	10
2050s	272,509 1000 No	272,509 1000 No	272,509 1000 No	1

Countries ranked near China, mainland

1 India 782,365 1000 No compare
2 China 275,362 1000 No compare
4 Pakistan 146,712 1000 No compare
5 Nigeria 123,508 1000 No compare
6 Ethiopia 116,333 1000 No compare

See the full ranking of 277 places →

More work & labour data for China, mainland

Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 633,368 1000 No (2100)
Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 320,118 1000 No (2100)
Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 313,250 1000 No (2100)
Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 1.09 million 1000 No (2050)

All data for China, mainland →

Frequently asked questions

What is population - est. & proj. — rural population in China, mainland?: Population - est. & proj. — rural population in China, mainland was 272,509 1000 No in 2050, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
What is the highest population - est. & proj. — rural population recorded in China, mainland?: The highest recorded value was 864,477 1000 No in 1992.
What is the lowest population - est. & proj. — rural population recorded in China, mainland?: The lowest recorded value was 272,509 1000 No in 2050.
How does China, mainland rank for population - est. & proj. — rural population?: China, mainland ranks 3rd out of 243 countries with data for 2050.
Is population - est. & proj. — rural population rising or falling in China, mainland?: Over the last ten years it is down 18.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this China, mainland data come from?: The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, published as part of Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 101 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (FAO).

About this data

Indicator: Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural 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: 12 August 2026

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.