Population
C
hina is the most populous country in the world, with 1.34 billion inhabitants that makes 19% of the global population. About 49.7% of these are urban residents, a considerable share that increased by 13% compared to 2000.
··· Focus
Eastern China is the most populated region of the country, inhabited by 38% of the Chinese population. Central and Western China account both for roughly 27%, while the remaining 8% live in the North-eastern region. The Eastern region is attracting migratory inflows as shown by the 2.4% increase of inhabitants on 2000, while all the other regions registered drops between 0.2% and 1.1%.
48.6% of GDP
Figures
Total investment
5%
Inflation rate
GDP per capita
US $ 5,183
GDP
US $ 6.9 trillion
China is the most populous country in the world, with 1.34 billion inhabitants that makes 19% of the global population. The 5 most populated provinces are Guangdong, Shandong, Henan, Sichuan and Jiangsu. During the last decade about 117 million persons moved from their town or place of origin, as a consequence of the rapid shift of rural labour force to non-agricultural activities and the faster economic development in urban areas attracting migrant workers. Ageing Population China’s population is ageing fast, owing to low fertility and rising life expectancy. As a consequence of about three decades of one-child policy the fertility rate fell under 1.5, below the sustainable rate for a country like China that also experiences a low proportion of girls amongst total births, due to a history of gender discrimination. The ratio of the elderly to those aged 15-46 is projected to grow four-fold by 2050, and even higher in rural areas.
Economy Achievements and challenges Since the economic liberalization in 1978, and even more after WTO accession in 2001, China has become the fastest growing major economy in the world, with an annual average GDP growth of about 10% in the last decade, and expected to continue at a slightly reduced rate of 9% in the next five years. It is worth mentioning that China alone contributed to 30% of global growth in 2010.
Gross national savings
53.8% of GDP
Exports
4%
Unemployment rate
Currency
Renminbi (yuan) 22 • Infomedix 1/2012
US $1.58 trillion Imports
US $1.39 trillion
China’s GDP is the second-largest in the world after US, although such ranking not mirrored by GDP per capita (91st out of 183 countries). Foreign exchange reserves are the world’s largest and China is also the world’s 3rd largest recipient of FDI and 6th largest outward investor. The impressive growth registered by Chinese economy relied mainly on low cost manufacturing activities and undervalued exchange rate.
It is worth mentioning that China alone contributed to 30% of global growth in 2010.