Just how big is China really?
China is one of the largest countries in the world. We’ve seen it on a map, but it’s hard to envisage just how big it is. Here are some facts and comparisons to help you understand China’s huge size – and put its population and diversity into perspective!
How many people live in China?
- China has the largest population of a single country in the world. Its current population is over 1.4 billion, which is 18% of the whole world’s population! Compare that to the US, whose population makes up for a comparatively tiny 4.2% and the UK, which makes up for just 0.9%.
- Shanghai is the third most populated city in the world, with a population of over 27 million. That’s over three times that of New York City’s 8.5 million.
- China has over 600 hundred cities, over 100 of which are home to over 1 million people. Compare that to the US, with only 10 cities with over 1 million people, or the UK, with only one city with a population over this number: London.