China is a vast and diverse country and population density in different regions varies greatly. In 2022, the estimated population density of the administrative area of Shanghai municipality reached about 3,903.5 inhabitants per square kilometer, whereas statistically only around three people were living on one square kilometer in Tibet.
Population distribution in China
China's population is unevenly distributed across the country: while most people are living in the southeastern half of the country, the northwestern half – which includes the provinces and autonomous regions of Tibet, Xinjiang, Qinghai, Gansu, and Inner Mongolia – is only sparsely populated. Even the inhabitants of a single province might be unequally distributed within its borders. This is significantly influenced by the geography of each region, and is especially the case in the Guangdong, Fujian, or Sichuan provinces due to their mountain ranges. The Chinese provinces with the largest absolute population size are Guangdong in the south, Shandong in the east and Henan in Central China.
Urbanization and city population
Urbanization is one of the main factors which have been reshaping China over the last four decades. However, when comparing the size of cities and urban population density, one has to bear in mind that data often refers to the administrative area of cities or urban units, which might be much larger than the contiguous built-up area of that city. The administrative area of Beijing municipality, for example, includes large rural districts, where only around 200 inhabitants are living per square kilometer on average, while roughly 20,000 residents per square kilometer are living in the two central city districts. This is the main reason for the huge difference in population density between the four Chinese municipalities Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, and Chongqing shown in many population statistics.
Average population density in China in 2022, by province or region
(in inhabitants per square kilometer)
Characteristic
Population density in persons per square kilometer
* The population density in the four Chinese municipalities varies mainly due to the great difference in the size of the cities' administrative area. The administrative area of Beijing is roughly 2.6 times as large as that of Shanghai and includes many predominantly rural districts. The administrative area of Chongqing is even five times larger than that of Beijing.
All figures are Statista estimates based on population data retrieved from the National Bureau of Statistics of China and geographic data collected from various Chinese official websites. Due to different calculation methods, territorial disputes, and land remeasurings, figures for geographic land sizes may vary, leading to slightly different population density figures.
All data refer to permanent residents.
The data refer to mainland China only and do not include Hong Kong and Macao.
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Statista. (January 9, 2024). Average population density in China in 2022, by province or region (in inhabitants per square kilometer) [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved August 24, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1183370/china-population-density-by-region-province/
Statista. "Average population density in China in 2022, by province or region (in inhabitants per square kilometer)." Chart. January 9, 2024. Statista. Accessed August 24, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1183370/china-population-density-by-region-province/
Statista. (2024). Average population density in China in 2022, by province or region (in inhabitants per square kilometer). Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: August 24, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1183370/china-population-density-by-region-province/
Statista. "Average Population Density in China in 2022, by Province or Region (in Inhabitants per Square Kilometer)." Statista, Statista Inc., 9 Jan 2024, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1183370/china-population-density-by-region-province/
Statista, Average population density in China in 2022, by province or region (in inhabitants per square kilometer) Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1183370/china-population-density-by-region-province/ (last visited August 24, 2024)
Average population density in China in 2022, by province or region (in inhabitants per square kilometer) [Graph], Statista, January 9, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1183370/china-population-density-by-region-province/