China Urbanization Rate: 1978–2024 2024 (Latest Data & Historical Trends)
China's urbanization rate from 1978 to 2024, tracking the share of urban population as a percentage of total population. From just 17.92% in 1978 when reforms began, China's urbanization rate crossed 50% in 2011 and reached 67% by 2024. This represents the largest urbanization in human history, with over 800 million people moving to cities over four decades.
Quick Answer
China's Urbanization Rate: 1978–2024 in 2024 was 67.0 %. Historical data available from 1978 to 2024, covering 47 years. Data source: National Bureau of Statistics of China.
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China Urbanization Rate: 1978–2024
Data Table
30 data points| Year | Value (%) |
|---|---|
| 1978 | 17.92 |
| 1980 | 19.39 |
| 1985 | 23.71 |
| 1990 | 26.2 |
| 1995 | 29.04 |
| 2000 | 36.22 |
| 2001 | 37.66 |
| 2002 | 39.09 |
| 2003 | 40.53 |
| 2004 | 41.76 |
| 2005 | 42.99 |
| 2006 | 44.34 |
| 2007 | 45.89 |
| 2008 | 46.99 |
| 2009 | 48.34 |
| 2010 | 49.95 |
| 2011 | 51.27 |
| 2012 | 52.57 |
| 2013 | 53.73 |
| 2014 | 54.77 |
| 2015 | 56.1 |
| 2016 | 57.35 |
| 2017 | 58.52 |
| 2018 | 59.58 |
| 2019 | 60.6 |
| 2020 | 63.89 |
| 2021 | 64.72 |
| 2022 | 65.22 |
| 2023 | 66.16 |
| 2024 | 67 |
About This Dataset
China's urbanization rate from 1978 to 2024, tracking the share of urban population as a percentage of total population. From just 17.92% in 1978 when reforms began, China's urbanization rate crossed 50% in 2011 and reached 67% by 2024. This represents the largest urbanization in human history, with over 800 million people moving to cities over four decades.
China's China Urbanization Rate: 1978–2024 in 2024 was 67 (%). The dataset spans 30 data points from 1978 to 2024, updated yearly. Total change from 1978 to 2024: 273.9%.
API
curl https://chinadata.live/api/v2/data/china-urbanization-history 📚 How to Cite This Data
Citation Format:
China Data Portal (2026). China Urbanization Rate: 1978–2024. Retrieved from https://chinadata.live/data/china-urbanization-history/
Primary Source:
National Bureau of Statistics of China
Last Updated:
2026-06-05T04:18:30.909Z
API Access:
GET https://chinadata.live/api/v2/data/china-urbanization-history Frequently Asked Questions
What is China's urbanization rate in 2024?
China's urbanization rate reached approximately 67% in 2024, meaning about 950 million of China's 1.41 billion people live in urban areas. This is up from 65.2% in 2022 and represents steady annual growth of about 0.8-1 percentage point per year.
How fast has China urbanized since 1978?
China's urbanization rate jumped from 17.9% in 1978 to 67% in 2024 — a nearly 4x increase in 46 years. This is the largest and fastest urbanization in human history, with over 800 million people moving from rural areas to cities. By comparison, the UK took 150 years to reach similar urbanization levels.
When did China's urban population exceed 50%?
China crossed the 50% urbanization threshold in 2011, when the urban population first exceeded the rural population. This was a historic milestone — for the first time in 5,000 years of Chinese civilization, more people lived in cities than in the countryside.
What drives China's rapid urbanization?
Key drivers include economic reform and opening-up since 1978, industrialization creating factory jobs in cities, massive infrastructure investment (highways, high-speed rail, airports), relaxation of the hukou (household registration) system, and government policy promoting urban development zones and new city districts.
How does China's urbanization compare globally?
China's urbanization rate of 67% is still below the world average for high-income countries (80%+), the US (83%), and Europe (75%). However, China's absolute numbers are staggering — its urban population of 950 million is larger than the entire population of Europe. China is expected to reach 75% urbanization by 2035.