Crude death rate in China
China: Crude death rate was 8.21 in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2023)
8.21
Change on year
up 6.4%
World rank
93rd
of 236 countries
All-time high
29.79
in 1960
All-time low
6.07
in 1998
Years of data
74
1950–2023
Crude death rate in China, 1950–2023
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2023, crude death rate in China stood at 8.21.
The figure is up 6.4% on the previous year and up 22.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, crude death rate in China peaked at 29.79 in 1960 and was at its lowest, 6.07, in 1998.
That places China 93rd out of 236 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Crude death rate in China, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 23.09 | — |
| 1951 | 22.41 | -2.9% |
| 1952 | 22.05 | -1.6% |
| 1953 | 21.31 | -3.3% |
| 1954 | 20.58 | -3.4% |
| 1955 | 20.13 | -2.2% |
| 1956 | 19.33 | -4.0% |
| 1957 | 18.91 | -2.2% |
| 1958 | 18.17 | -3.9% |
| 1959 | 24.36 | +34.1% |
| 1960 | 29.79 | +22.3% |
| 1961 | 22.41 | -24.8% |
| 1962 | 15.56 | -30.6% |
| 1963 | 15.95 | +2.5% |
| 1964 | 15.38 | -3.5% |
| 1965 | 14.76 | -4.1% |
| 1966 | 14.14 | -4.2% |
| 1967 | 13.39 | -5.3% |
| 1968 | 13.03 | -2.7% |
| 1969 | 12.49 | -4.1% |
| 1970 | 11.93 | -4.5% |
| 1971 | 11.24 | -5.8% |
| 1972 | 10.62 | -5.5% |
| 1973 | 10.01 | -5.7% |
| 1974 | 9.49 | -5.2% |
| 1975 | 8.99 | -5.2% |
| 1976 | 8.8 | -2.1% |
| 1977 | 8.19 | -7.0% |
| 1978 | 7.94 | -3.1% |
| 1979 | 7.77 | -2.1% |
| 1980 | 7.64 | -1.8% |
| 1981 | 7.51 | -1.6% |
| 1982 | 7.45 | -0.8% |
| 1983 | 7.24 | -2.8% |
| 1984 | 7.16 | -1.1% |
| 1985 | 7.12 | -0.6% |
| 1986 | 7.1 | -0.2% |
| 1987 | 7.06 | -0.6% |
| 1988 | 6.96 | -1.5% |
| 1989 | 6.91 | -0.7% |
| 1990 | 6.91 | +0.1% |
| 1991 | 6.65 | -3.8% |
| 1992 | 6.48 | -2.6% |
| 1993 | 6.36 | -1.8% |
| 1994 | 6.31 | -0.7% |
| 1995 | 6.19 | -2.0% |
| 1996 | 6.11 | -1.2% |
| 1997 | 6.08 | -0.6% |
| 1998 | 6.07 | -0.2% |
| 1999 | 6.08 | +0.3% |
| 2000 | 6.13 | +0.7% |
| 2001 | 6.12 | -0.1% |
| 2002 | 6.15 | +0.5% |
| 2003 | 6.19 | +0.6% |
| 2004 | 6.24 | +0.8% |
| 2005 | 6.27 | +0.5% |
| 2006 | 6.33 | +0.9% |
| 2007 | 6.34 | +0.3% |
| 2008 | 6.51 | +2.6% |
| 2009 | 6.49 | -0.3% |
| 2010 | 6.5 | +0.2% |
| 2011 | 6.59 | +1.4% |
| 2012 | 6.63 | +0.6% |
| 2013 | 6.7 | +0.9% |
| 2014 | 6.76 | +1.0% |
| 2015 | 6.82 | +0.9% |
| 2016 | 6.9 | +1.2% |
| 2017 | 7.12 | +3.1% |
| 2018 | 7.02 | -1.3% |
| 2019 | 7.12 | +1.3% |
| 2020 | 7.3 | +2.6% |
| 2021 | 7.54 | +3.3% |
| 2022 | 7.72 | +2.3% |
| 2023 | 8.21 | +6.4% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 8.21 is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 7.02, 1.2× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- China's 8.21 is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 6.87, 1.2× the median. (37 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Crude death rate in China changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1959 | +34.1% | 18.17 | 24.36 |
| 1962 | -30.6% | 22.41 | 15.56 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 21.03 | 18.17 | 24.36 | 10 |
| 1960s | 16.69 | 12.49 | 29.79 | 10 |
| 1970s | 9.5 | 7.77 | 11.93 | 10 |
| 1980s | 7.21 | 6.91 | 7.64 | 10 |
| 1990s | 6.32 | 6.07 | 6.91 | 10 |
| 2000s | 6.28 | 6.12 | 6.51 | 10 |
| 2010s | 6.82 | 6.5 | 7.12 | 10 |
| 2020s | 7.69 | 7.3 | 8.21 | 4 |
Countries ranked near China
- 90 Switzerland 8.32 compare
- 91 Sierra Leone 8.29 compare
- 92 Seychelles 8.22 compare
- 94 Sint Maarten (Dutch part) 8.13 compare
- 95 Jamaica 8.08 compare
- 96 Liberia 8.07 compare
More health data for China
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.15 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate -0.0985 % change on previous year (2090)
- Un projection of annual infant deaths 4,642 (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 10 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate -8.22 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per capita 0.0159 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate -8.73 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per capita 0.0176 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is crude death rate in China?
- Crude death rate in China was 8.21 in 2023, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest crude death rate recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 29.79 in 1960.
- What is the lowest crude death rate recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 6.07 in 1998.
- How does China rank for crude death rate?
- China ranks 93rd out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is crude death rate rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is up 22.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this China data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Crude death rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 74 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).