Think about vast population and China is the first country that comes to mind. It is also the world’s most populous country but has achieved tremendous success in controlling China population growth. In mid 2008, the country’s population stood at 1.3 billion.
China’s population growth and uneven distribution span two periods. From 1949 to 1970, the population growth was dispersed evenly but from 1970 to 1990, the population disparity increased and concentrated in the east of China.
China Population Growth: Some Facts and Factors
Factors that influenced the China population growth are:
- Composition of the ethnic population
- Regional urbanization and economic trends
- Physical and environmental conditions
Other interesting facts are:
- About 20% of the world’s population resides in China.
- The country’s population is estimated to reach 1.4 billion by the latter part of 2010.
- In 2030, China population growth is predicted to peak further and then decline.
China Population Growth Magnitude
China population growth increases by almost 13 million people. This growth rate surpasses the total population of countries like Cambodia, Ecuador and Belgium. The efforts to control the fertility behavior of its people have improved population control in China.
China Population Growth: Main Chinese Provinces
The following China population growth data pertains to its major provinces:
Sichuan 87,250,000 (2007 figures)
Henan 98,690,000 (2007 figures)
Shandong 94,000,000 (2008 figures)
Jiangsu 75,495,000 (2006 figures)
Hebei 70,000,000 (2009 figures)
Impact of One-Child Policy on China Population Growth
China population growth is unbalanced but its rigid one-child policy marked a period of stringent penalties, forced abortions and infanticide. Till 2000, this policy is estimated to have prevented over 250 million births. However, this policy resulted in gender imbalance due to female infanticides.
China Population Growth Chart
China population growth chart as indicated by ChinaToday.com:
Year Total Population 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 Unit: 10000 Birth Rate 55,196 66,207 82,542 98,705 114,333 126,743 Per thousand Death Rate 37 20.86 35.07 18.26 21.06 14.03 Per thousand Increase Rate 18 17.91 7.6 6.34 6.67 6.45 Per thousand 19 2.95 27.47 11.92 14.39 7.58
A 2008 survey conducted by the Pew Research Center indicates that over 75% of the Chinese favor the one-child policy. Undoubtedly, China’s demographic transformation has been remarkable.