Demographics of China
Encyclopedia
This article is about the demographic
features of the population
of China
, including population density
, ethnicity
, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population.
China
consists of the People's Republic of China
(which includes Mainland China
, Hong Kong
and Macau
) and the Republic of China
(Taiwan
). The population of Mainland China, at over 1.3 billion, greatly exceeds that of the remainder of China. Most Taiwanese people do not consider themselves a part of the People's Republic of China, although many consider themselves Chinese.
is very concerned about its population growth and has attempted with mixed results to implement a strict family planning policy. The government's goal is one child per family
, with exceptions in rural areas and for ethnic minorities. Official government policy opposes forced abortion or sterilization, but allegations of coercion continue as local officials strive to meet population targets. The government's goal is to stabilize the population early in the 21st century, although some current projections estimate a population of anywhere ranging from 1.4 to 1.6 billion by 2025.
Religion plays a significant part in the life of many Chinese. Buddhism
is most widely practiced, with an estimated 100 million adherents. Traditional Taoism
also is practiced. Official figures indicate there are 18 million Muslims
, 4 million Catholics, and 10 million Protestants
; however, unofficial estimates are much higher.
Languages spoken include 'Standard Chinese' or Mandarin (Putonghua, based on the Beijing dialect), Yue (Cantonese), Wu (Shanghaiese), Minbei (Fuzhou), Minnan (Hokkien-Taiwanese), Hunanese
, Gan, Hakka dialects, and minority languages.
is one of the most densely populated areas in the world with an overall density of some 6,300 people per square kilometre. The term "densely populated, green city" is used to describe the majority of the people living in apartment
s in high-rise buildings
, and most land reserved for open spaces
, country park
s, and woodland
.
According to statistics released in 2006, Hong Kong has the world’s lowest birth rate—0.9 per woman of child-bearing age, far below the replacement rate of 2.1. With just 966 babies being born to every 1000 fertile women, it is estimated that 26.8% of the population will be aged 65 or more in 2033, up from 12.1% in 2005.
ethnicity), primarily Cantonese
and some Hakka, both from nearby Guangdong Province
. The remainder are of Portuguese
or mixed Chinese-Portuguese ancestry. The official languages are Portuguese
and Mandarin, though the residents commonly speak Cantonese. English
is spoken in tourist areas. Macau
has only one university (University of Macau
); most of its 7,700 students are from Hong Kong
.
and Guangdong Provinces on Mainland China, primarily in the seventeenth and nineteenth centuries. The "Mainlanders", who arrived on Taiwan after 1945, came from all parts of Mainland China. About 370,000 Taiwanese aborigines inhabit the mountainous central and eastern parts of the island and are related to the Malayo-Polynesian group, and believed to be the origin of this group (see, e.g. Jared Diamond's "Guns, Germs and Steel").
Demographics
Demographics are the most recent statistical characteristics of a population. These types of data are used widely in sociology , public policy, and marketing. Commonly examined demographics include gender, race, age, disabilities, mobility, home ownership, employment status, and even location...
features of the population
Population
A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...
of China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, including population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
, ethnicity
Ethnic group
An ethnic group is a group of people whose members identify with each other, through a common heritage, often consisting of a common language, a common culture and/or an ideology that stresses common ancestry or endogamy...
, education level, health of the populace, economic status, religious affiliations and other aspects of the population.
China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
consists of the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
(which includes Mainland China
Mainland China
Mainland China, the Chinese mainland or simply the mainland, is a geopolitical term that refers to the area under the jurisdiction of the People's Republic of China . According to the Taipei-based Mainland Affairs Council, the term excludes the PRC Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and...
, Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
and Macau
Macau
Macau , also spelled Macao , is, along with Hong Kong, one of the two special administrative regions of the People's Republic of China...
) and the Republic of China
Republic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
(Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
). The population of Mainland China, at over 1.3 billion, greatly exceeds that of the remainder of China. Most Taiwanese people do not consider themselves a part of the People's Republic of China, although many consider themselves Chinese.
People's Republic of China
The population of China was about 1.24 billion inhabitants, according to the 1 November 2000 census. Some four years later, more specifically on 6 January 2005, it officially reached 1.3 billion. The November 2010 census recorded 1.34 billion inhabitants. The PRCPeople's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
is very concerned about its population growth and has attempted with mixed results to implement a strict family planning policy. The government's goal is one child per family
One-child policy
The one-child policy refers to the one-child limitation applying to a minority of families in the population control policy of the People's Republic of China . The Chinese government refers to it under the official translation of family planning policy...
, with exceptions in rural areas and for ethnic minorities. Official government policy opposes forced abortion or sterilization, but allegations of coercion continue as local officials strive to meet population targets. The government's goal is to stabilize the population early in the 21st century, although some current projections estimate a population of anywhere ranging from 1.4 to 1.6 billion by 2025.
Religion plays a significant part in the life of many Chinese. Buddhism
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
is most widely practiced, with an estimated 100 million adherents. Traditional Taoism
Taoism
Taoism refers to a philosophical or religious tradition in which the basic concept is to establish harmony with the Tao , which is the mechanism of everything that exists...
also is practiced. Official figures indicate there are 18 million Muslims
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
, 4 million Catholics, and 10 million Protestants
Protestantism
Protestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the...
; however, unofficial estimates are much higher.
Languages spoken include 'Standard Chinese' or Mandarin (Putonghua, based on the Beijing dialect), Yue (Cantonese), Wu (Shanghaiese), Minbei (Fuzhou), Minnan (Hokkien-Taiwanese), Hunanese
Hunanese
Hunanese may refer to:* Hunanese people: People born or native in Hunan, China* Hunan cuisine* Xiang Chinese--a branch of the Chinese language spoken in Hunan Province...
, Gan, Hakka dialects, and minority languages.
Hong Kong
Hong KongHong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
is one of the most densely populated areas in the world with an overall density of some 6,300 people per square kilometre. The term "densely populated, green city" is used to describe the majority of the people living in apartment
Apartment
An apartment or flat is a self-contained housing unit that occupies only part of a building...
s in high-rise buildings
Skyscraper
A skyscraper is a tall, continuously habitable building of many stories, often designed for office and commercial use. There is no official definition or height above which a building may be classified as a skyscraper...
, and most land reserved for open spaces
Open space reserve
Open space reserve, open space preserve, and open space reservation, are planning and conservation ethics terms used to describe areas of protected or conserved land or water on which development is indefinitely set aside...
, country park
Country park
A country park is an area designated for people to visit and enjoy recreation in a countryside environment.-History:In the United Kingdom the term 'Country Park' has a special meaning. There are over 400 Country Parks in England alone . Most Country Parks were designated in the 1970s, under the...
s, and woodland
Woodland
Ecologically, a woodland is a low-density forest forming open habitats with plenty of sunlight and limited shade. Woodlands may support an understory of shrubs and herbaceous plants including grasses. Woodland may form a transition to shrubland under drier conditions or during early stages of...
.
According to statistics released in 2006, Hong Kong has the world’s lowest birth rate—0.9 per woman of child-bearing age, far below the replacement rate of 2.1. With just 966 babies being born to every 1000 fertile women, it is estimated that 26.8% of the population will be aged 65 or more in 2033, up from 12.1% in 2005.
Macau
Macau's population is 95% Chinese (HanHan Chinese
Han Chinese are an ethnic group native to China and are the largest single ethnic group in the world.Han Chinese constitute about 92% of the population of the People's Republic of China , 98% of the population of the Republic of China , 78% of the population of Singapore, and about 20% of the...
ethnicity), primarily Cantonese
Cantonese people
The Cantonese people are Han people whose ancestral homes are in Guangdong, China. The term "Cantonese people" would then be synonymous with the Bun Dei sub-ethnic group, and is sometimes known as Gwong Fu Jan for this narrower definition...
and some Hakka, both from nearby Guangdong Province
Guangdong
Guangdong is a province on the South China Sea coast of the People's Republic of China. The province was previously often written with the alternative English name Kwangtung Province...
. The remainder are of Portuguese
Portuguese people
The Portuguese are a nation and ethnic group native to the country of Portugal, in the west of the Iberian peninsula of south-west Europe. Their language is Portuguese, and Roman Catholicism is the predominant religion....
or mixed Chinese-Portuguese ancestry. The official languages are Portuguese
Portuguese language
Portuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...
and Mandarin, though the residents commonly speak Cantonese. English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
is spoken in tourist areas. Macau
Macau
Macau , also spelled Macao , is, along with Hong Kong, one of the two special administrative regions of the People's Republic of China...
has only one university (University of Macau
University of Macau
The University of Macau, ;, established in 1981, was the first and currently the largest university in Macau, a former Portuguese colony. It was formerly known as University of East Asia , and was renamed the University of Macau in 1991. The university offers about 100 Doctoral, Master's and...
); most of its 7,700 students are from Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
.
Republic of China (Taiwan)
The Republic of China has a population of 22.2 million. More than 18 million, the "native" Taiwanese are descendants of Chinese who migrated from FujianFujian
' , formerly romanised as Fukien or Huguing or Foukien, is a province on the southeast coast of mainland China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, and Guangdong to the south. Taiwan lies to the east, across the Taiwan Strait...
and Guangdong Provinces on Mainland China, primarily in the seventeenth and nineteenth centuries. The "Mainlanders", who arrived on Taiwan after 1945, came from all parts of Mainland China. About 370,000 Taiwanese aborigines inhabit the mountainous central and eastern parts of the island and are related to the Malayo-Polynesian group, and believed to be the origin of this group (see, e.g. Jared Diamond's "Guns, Germs and Steel").
External links
- http://knowledge.allianz.com/en/globalissues/demographic_profiles/china/china_population_demographics.html Demographic Profile China: People Power] Allianz Knowledge