| Source | UN (World Population Prospects 2022) |
| Date | 22 Jan 2024 |
China and the United States are the 2nd most and 3rd most populous country in the world, respectively. China and the United States together account for about 21.76 % of the total world population. China population is 4.17 times the US population, with China home to about 1.43 billion people and the United States to 342 million in 2024. The population of China has peaked in 2021, but the US will not peak until 2100. China is four times denser than the US as China's population density is 149 people per square km compared to 37 of the US.
The ratio of china to the US population has increased from 3.67 in 1950 to the highest 4.65 in 1991. This ratio is expected to decline at 1.95 by 2100, as China's population growth rate is much lower than the United States.
As of 2024, China's total fertility rate is 1.21 births per woman, which is lower than the US's 1.66. China's fertility rate was almost double that of the US in 1950, but it is below since 1990 except year 2017.
In terms of overall life expectancy, China is catching up with the United States. The margin has been reduced to 0.9 years, which was over 24 years in 1950. The United States came 61th globally, with 79.89 years, while China is at 69th with 78.99 years. China (39.48 years) has overtaken the United States (38.32 years) in terms of median age.
The US has a higher old population share as 17.6 % of the US population has age above 65 years, compared to 14.3 % of China. The United States has more people ages above 100 years.
| Year | Population | Growth (%) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| China | US | China/US | China | US | |
| 2022 | 1,425,887,337 | 338,289,857 | 4.21 | -0.01 | 0.47 |
| 2023 | 1,425,671,352 | 339,996,563 | 4.19 | -0.03 | 0.54 |
| 2024 | 1,425,178,782 | 341,814,420 | 4.17 | -0.04 | 0.53 |
| 2025 | 1,424,381,924 | 343,603,404 | 4.15 | -0.07 | 0.52 |
| 2030 | 1,415,605,906 | 352,162,301 | 4.02 | -0.18 | 0.47 |
| 2035 | 1,399,547,500 | 360,016,420 | 3.89 | -0.28 | 0.41 |
| 2040 | 1,377,556,938 | 366,616,240 | 3.76 | -0.36 | 0.32 |
| 2045 | 1,349,756,901 | 371,715,154 | 3.63 | -0.47 | 0.23 |
| 2050 | 1,312,636,325 | 375,391,963 | 3.50 | -0.66 | 0.16 |
| 2055 | 1,263,512,555 | 378,168,263 | 3.34 | -0.87 | 0.14 |
| 2060 | 1,205,020,650 | 380,862,165 | 3.16 | -1.01 | 0.15 |
| 2065 | 1,144,050,917 | 383,800,543 | 2.98 | -1.05 | 0.16 |
| 2070 | 1,085,287,617 | 386,805,309 | 2.81 | -1.05 | 0.15 |
| 2075 | 1,029,035,605 | 389,390,579 | 2.64 | -1.08 | 0.11 |
| 2080 | 972,906,892 | 391,168,465 | 2.49 | -1.16 | 0.07 |
| 2085 | 916,808,802 | 392,209,373 | 2.34 | -1.21 | 0.04 |
| 2090 | 863,319,535 | 392,882,584 | 2.20 | -1.19 | 0.03 |
| 2095 | 813,718,728 | 393,473,602 | 2.07 | -1.18 | 0.03 |
| 2100 | 766,673,270 | 394,041,155 | 1.95 | -1.21 | 0.02 |
| Year | Population | Growth (%) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| China | US | China/US | China | US | |
| 1950 | 543,979,233 | 148,281,550 | 3.67 | 1.76 | 1.60 |
| 1955 | 603,320,147 | 161,136,449 | 3.74 | 2.24 | 1.83 |
| 1960 | 654,170,692 | 176,188,578 | 3.71 | -0.04 | 1.65 |
| 1965 | 723,846,349 | 189,703,283 | 3.82 | 2.68 | 1.21 |
| 1970 | 822,534,450 | 200,328,340 | 4.11 | 2.61 | 1.34 |
| 1975 | 915,124,661 | 211,274,535 | 4.33 | 1.60 | 0.96 |
| 1980 | 982,372,466 | 223,140,018 | 4.40 | 1.47 | 1.21 |
| 1985 | 1,060,239,979 | 235,146,182 | 4.51 | 1.57 | 1.03 |
| 1990 | 1,153,704,252 | 248,083,732 | 4.65 | 1.72 | 1.39 |
| 1995 | 1,218,144,426 | 265,660,556 | 4.59 | 0.86 | 1.24 |
| 2000 | 1,264,099,069 | 282,398,554 | 4.48 | 0.71 | 1.12 |
| 2005 | 1,304,887,562 | 296,842,670 | 4.40 | 0.62 | 0.96 |
| 2010 | 1,348,191,368 | 311,182,845 | 4.33 | 0.67 | 0.83 |
| 2015 | 1,393,715,448 | 324,607,776 | 4.29 | 0.56 | 0.78 |
| 2020 | 1,424,929,781 | 335,942,003 | 4.24 | 0.13 | 0.33 |
| 2021 | 1,425,893,465 | 336,997,624 | 4.23 | 0.00 | 0.30 |
| Year | Life expectancy | Median age | Fertility rate | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| China | US | China | US | China | US | |
| 1950 | 43.74 | 68.06 | 22.25 | 29.27 | 5.81 | 2.93 |
| 1955 | 47.17 | 69.55 | 20.68 | 29.18 | 6.26 | 3.44 |
| 1960 | 33.28 | 69.81 | 19.90 | 28.64 | 4.45 | 3.55 |
| 1965 | 52.91 | 70.24 | 18.45 | 27.53 | 6.61 | 2.86 |
| 1970 | 56.61 | 70.74 | 17.99 | 27.24 | 6.09 | 2.47 |
| 1975 | 60.92 | 72.53 | 19.02 | 27.88 | 3.57 | 1.77 |
| 1980 | 64.42 | 73.72 | 20.84 | 29.07 | 2.74 | 1.83 |
| 1985 | 66.64 | 74.64 | 21.66 | 30.38 | 2.63 | 1.84 |
| 1990 | 68.01 | 75.37 | 23.69 | 31.78 | 2.51 | 2.07 |
| 1995 | 70.01 | 75.85 | 26.05 | 33.07 | 1.59 | 1.97 |
| 2000 | 71.88 | 76.81 | 28.92 | 34.15 | 1.63 | 2.05 |
| 2005 | 74.11 | 77.56 | 31.73 | 35.08 | 1.62 | 2.06 |
| 2010 | 75.60 | 78.77 | 34.08 | 36.06 | 1.69 | 1.93 |
| 2015 | 76.98 | 78.87 | 35.60 | 36.59 | 1.67 | 1.84 |
| 2020 | 78.08 | 77.41 | 37.44 | 37.47 | 1.28 | 1.64 |
| 2021 | 78.21 | 77.20 | 37.95 | 37.68 | 1.16 | 1.66 |
| 2022 | 78.59 | 78.20 | 38.47 | 37.89 | 1.18 | 1.66 |
| 2023 | 78.79 | 79.74 | 38.98 | 38.10 | 1.19 | 1.66 |
| 2024 | 78.99 | 79.89 | 39.48 | 38.32 | 1.21 | 1.66 |
| Age Group | Population | Share(%) of total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| China | US | China/US | China | US | |
| 00-04 | 56,736,084 | 18,715,849 | 3.03 | 3.98 | 5.48 |
| 05-09 | 85,392,742 | 20,014,615 | 4.27 | 5.99 | 5.86 |
| 10-14 | 90,128,503 | 20,823,206 | 4.33 | 6.32 | 6.09 |
| 15-19 | 83,594,370 | 22,428,607 | 3.73 | 5.87 | 6.56 |
| 20-24 | 79,196,823 | 22,516,108 | 3.52 | 5.56 | 6.59 |
| 25-29 | 83,686,116 | 22,510,154 | 3.72 | 5.87 | 6.59 |
| 30-34 | 106,208,573 | 23,861,993 | 4.45 | 7.45 | 6.98 |
| 35-39 | 117,936,488 | 23,111,850 | 5.10 | 8.28 | 6.76 |
| 40-44 | 101,566,904 | 22,382,287 | 4.54 | 7.13 | 6.55 |
| 45-49 | 93,929,678 | 20,620,314 | 4.56 | 6.59 | 6.03 |
| 50-54 | 119,595,781 | 20,944,468 | 5.71 | 8.39 | 6.13 |
| 55-59 | 114,615,025 | 20,755,457 | 5.52 | 8.04 | 6.07 |
| 60-64 | 84,090,511 | 21,370,572 | 3.93 | 5.90 | 6.25 |
| 65-69 | 74,008,250 | 19,645,554 | 3.77 | 5.19 | 5.75 |
| 70-74 | 62,118,662 | 15,946,952 | 3.90 | 4.36 | 4.67 |
| 75-79 | 36,051,681 | 11,859,471 | 3.04 | 2.53 | 3.47 |
| 80-84 | 20,667,200 | 7,360,558 | 2.81 | 1.45 | 2.15 |
| 85-89 | 10,950,779 | 4,172,542 | 2.62 | 0.77 | 1.22 |
| 90-94 | 3,930,863 | 2,097,369 | 1.87 | 0.28 | 0.61 |
| 95-99 | 714,226 | 568,788 | 1.26 | 0.05 | 0.17 |
| 100+ | 59,523 | 107,706 | 0.55 | 0.00 | 0.03 |
| Total | 1,425,178,782 | 341,814,420 | 4.17 | 100 | 100 |