Number of people per household in China 2023, by region

In 2023, the number of people per household across different regions in China varied between around 2.3 in Heilongjiang province and 3.5 in Tibet. The national average was 2.8 people per household in 2023.

The relation between household sizes, birth rates, and income

In general, data on average household sizes as well as household income are often derived from the same national household survey. Therefore, average household sizes can be used to calculate per capita income from household income and vice versa.

In many regions of China, a larger average household size correlates with lower income. At the same time, a strong positive correlation between household size and birth rate exists, which is in itself not surprising.

Different household sizes across China

In China, the largest average household sizes were recorded in the western part of the country, where birth rates are high. Lower medium figures prevailed in the prosperous coastal regions, while the lowest figures were recorded in the large municipalities and in Northeast China. The northeastern provinces, which are still dominated by their heavy industries, suffer from bad economic perspectives and population decline, which results in their smaller household sizes.