China vs Russia: population comparison
Current population of China
1,403,948,354
Live estimate, extrapolated from the latest official figures
- Births today
- 5,429
- Deaths today
- 6,223
- Change today (UTC)
- −1,361
Current population of Russia
143,340,797
Live estimate, extrapolated from the latest official figures
- Births today
- 687
- Deaths today
- 1,014
- Change today (UTC)
- −89
China has a population of 1,406,585,000 and Russia has 143,513,328 (2025 estimates). China is currently larger by 1,263,071,672 people — about 10 times Russia's population. They rank 2 and 9 in the world respectively.
Their trajectories differ: Russia grows at −0.11% per year versus −0.17% for China. At current rates the balance between them keeps shifting.
Beyond size, the structures differ: China is the younger society (median age 40.1 vs 40.3); China is far more crowded at 150 people per km² against 9.
China vs Russia population, 1960–2025
Side by side
| Indicator | China | Russia |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 1,406,585,000 | 143,513,328 |
| Annual growth | −0.17% | −0.11% |
| Yearly change | −2,390,000 | −156,320 |
| Density (P/km²) | 150 | 9 |
| Land area (km²) | 9,388,210 | 16,376,870 |
| Median age | 40.1 yrs | 40.3 yrs |
| Fertility rate | 1.01 | 1.42 |
| Life expectancy | 78.0 yrs | 73.4 yrs |
| Urban population | 66% | 75% |
| World share | 17.12% | 1.75% |
| 2050 projection (UN) | 1,260,289,093 | 136,132,775 |
Latest World Bank estimates; median age and 2050 projections from UN WPP 2024. Full profiles: China · Russia
China vs Russia FAQ
Is China bigger than Russia by population?
China currently has the larger population: 1,406,585,000 versus 143,513,328 (2025 estimates) — a gap of 1.26 billion people.
Which grows faster, China or Russia?
Russia currently grows faster: −0.11% per year versus −0.17%.
How do China and Russia compare in 2050?
UN medium-variant projections put China at 1,260,289,093 and Russia at 136,132,775 in 2050.