Number of deaths in China
China: Number of deaths was 11.68 million in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
11.68 million
Change on year
up 6.2%
World rank
1st
of 236 countries
All-time high
19.51 million
in 1960
All-time low
7.45 million
in 1983
Years of data
74
1950–2023
Number of deaths in China, 1950–2023
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for number of deaths in China is 11.68 million, measured in 2023.
That represents a change of up 6.2% on the previous year and up 26.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of deaths in China peaked at 19.51 million in 1960 and was at its lowest, 7.45 million, in 1983.
That places China 1st out of 236 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 74 years of available data.
Number of deaths in China, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 12.56 million | — |
| 1951 | 12.41 million | -1.2% |
| 1952 | 12.46 million | +0.4% |
| 1953 | 12.31 million | -1.2% |
| 1954 | 12.15 million | -1.3% |
| 1955 | 12.15 million | +0.0% |
| 1956 | 11.92 million | -1.9% |
| 1957 | 11.92 million | +0.0% |
| 1958 | 11.70 million | -1.8% |
| 1959 | 15.90 million | +35.9% |
| 1960 | 19.51 million | +22.7% |
| 1961 | 14.70 million | -24.6% |
| 1962 | 10.35 million | -29.6% |
| 1963 | 10.92 million | +5.5% |
| 1964 | 10.84 million | -0.7% |
| 1965 | 10.68 million | -1.5% |
| 1966 | 10.50 million | -1.7% |
| 1967 | 10.19 million | -2.9% |
| 1968 | 10.17 million | -0.1% |
| 1969 | 10.02 million | -1.5% |
| 1970 | 9.82 million | -2.0% |
| 1971 | 9.49 million | -3.4% |
| 1972 | 9.17 million | -3.3% |
| 1973 | 8.84 million | -3.6% |
| 1974 | 8.54 million | -3.3% |
| 1975 | 8.24 million | -3.5% |
| 1976 | 8.19 million | -0.6% |
| 1977 | 7.73 million | -5.7% |
| 1978 | 7.59 million | -1.8% |
| 1979 | 7.53 million | -0.7% |
| 1980 | 7.51 million | -0.4% |
| 1981 | 7.49 million | -0.2% |
| 1982 | 7.55 million | +0.8% |
| 1983 | 7.45 million | -1.3% |
| 1984 | 7.48 million | +0.3% |
| 1985 | 7.54 million | +0.9% |
| 1986 | 7.65 million | +1.4% |
| 1987 | 7.74 million | +1.2% |
| 1988 | 7.76 million | +0.3% |
| 1989 | 7.83 million | +0.9% |
| 1990 | 7.98 million | +1.9% |
| 1991 | 7.78 million | -2.4% |
| 1992 | 7.67 million | -1.4% |
| 1993 | 7.61 million | -0.7% |
| 1994 | 7.63 million | +0.2% |
| 1995 | 7.55 million | -1.1% |
| 1996 | 7.52 million | -0.3% |
| 1997 | 7.54 million | +0.2% |
| 1998 | 7.59 million | +0.6% |
| 1999 | 7.67 million | +1.0% |
| 2000 | 7.78 million | +1.5% |
| 2001 | 7.83 million | +0.7% |
| 2002 | 7.92 million | +1.1% |
| 2003 | 8.01 million | +1.2% |
| 2004 | 8.12 million | +1.4% |
| 2005 | 8.21 million | +1.2% |
| 2006 | 8.34 million | +1.5% |
| 2007 | 8.41 million | +0.9% |
| 2008 | 8.68 million | +3.2% |
| 2009 | 8.72 million | +0.4% |
| 2010 | 8.79 million | +0.8% |
| 2011 | 8.97 million | +2.1% |
| 2012 | 9.09 million | +1.3% |
| 2013 | 9.24 million | +1.6% |
| 2014 | 9.38 million | +1.6% |
| 2015 | 9.52 million | +1.5% |
| 2016 | 9.69 million | +1.8% |
| 2017 | 10.05 million | +3.7% |
| 2018 | 9.97 million | -0.8% |
| 2019 | 10.13 million | +1.6% |
| 2020 | 10.41 million | +2.8% |
| 2021 | 10.76 million | +3.3% |
| 2022 | 11.00 million | +2.2% |
| 2023 | 11.68 million | +6.2% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 11.68 million is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 43,965, 265.8× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- China's 11.68 million is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 10,067, 1160.6× the median. (37 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Number of deaths 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 | +35.9% | 11.70 million | 15.90 million |
| 1962 | -29.6% | 14.70 million | 10.35 million |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 12.55 million | 11.70 million | 15.90 million | 10 |
| 1960s | 11.79 million | 10.02 million | 19.51 million | 10 |
| 1970s | 8.51 million | 7.53 million | 9.82 million | 10 |
| 1980s | 7.60 million | 7.45 million | 7.83 million | 10 |
| 1990s | 7.65 million | 7.52 million | 7.98 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 8.20 million | 7.78 million | 8.72 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 9.48 million | 8.79 million | 10.13 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 10.96 million | 10.41 million | 11.68 million | 4 |
Countries ranked near China
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 number of deaths in China?
- Number of deaths in China was 11.68 million in 2023, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest number of deaths recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 19.51 million in 1960.
- What is the lowest number of deaths recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 7.45 million in 1983.
- How does China rank for number of deaths?
- China ranks 1st out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is number of deaths rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is up 26.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this China data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Number of deaths. 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).