China

People & Society

Nationality:
noun: Chinese (singular and plural)
adjective: Chinese

Ethnic groups:
Han Chinese 91.6%, Zhuang 1.3%, other (includes Hui, Manchu, Uighur, Miao, Yi, Tujia, Tibetan, Mongol, Dong, Buyei, Yao, Bai, Korean, Hani, Li, Kazakh, Dai and other nationalities) 7.1%
note: the Chinese government officially recognizes 56 ethnic groups (2010 est.)

Languages:
Standard Chinese or Mandarin (official; Putonghua, based on the Beijing dialect), Yue (Cantonese), Wu (Shanghainese), Minbei (Fuzhou), Minnan (Hokkien-Taiwanese), Xiang, Gan, Hakka dialects, minority languages (see Ethnic groups entry)
note: Zhuang is official in Guangxi Zhuang, Yue is official in Guangdong, Mongolian is official in Nei Mongol, Uighur is official in Xinjiang Uygur, Kyrgyz is official in Xinjiang Uyghur, and Tibetan is official in Xizang (Tibet)

Religions:
Buddhist 18.2%, Christian 5.1%, Muslim 1.8%, folk religion < .1%, Hindu < .1%, Jewish < .1%, other 0.7% (includes Daoist (Taoist)), unaffiliated 52.2%
note: officially atheist (2010 est.)

Population:
1,355,692,576 (July 2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 1

Age structure:
0-14 years: 17.1% (male 124,340,516/female 107,287,324)
15-24 years: 14.7% (male 105,763,058/female 93,903,845)
25-54 years: 47.2% (male 327,130,324/female 313,029,536)
55-64 years: 9.6% (male 77,751,100/female 75,737,968)
65 years and over: 9.4% (male 62,646,075/female 68,102,830) (2014 est.)

Dependency ratios:
total dependency ratio: 37.4 %
youth dependency ratio: 24.9 %
elderly dependency ratio: 12.5 %
potential support ratio: 8 (2014 est.)

Median age:
total: 36.7 years
male: 35.8 years
female: 37.5 years (2014 est.)

Population growth rate:
0.44% (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 159

Birth rate:
12.17 births/1,000 population (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 163

Death rate:
7.44 deaths/1,000 population (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 115

Net migration rate:
-0.32 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 128

Urbanization:
urban population: 50.6% of total population (2011)
rate of urbanization: 2.85% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

Major urban areas – population:
Shanghai 20.208 million; BEIJING (capital) 15.594 million; Guangzhou 10.849 million; Shenzhen 10.63 million; Chongqing 9.977 million; Wuhan 9.158 million (2011)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.11 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.16 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.13 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.92 male(s)/female
total population: 1.06 male(s)/female (2014 est.)

Maternal mortality rate:
37 deaths/100,000 live births (2010)
country comparison to the world: 116

Infant mortality rate:
total: 14.79 deaths/1,000 live births
country comparison to the world: 108
male: 14.93 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 14.63 deaths/1,000 live births (2014 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 75.15 years
country comparison to the world: 100
male: 73.09 years
female: 77.43 years (2014 est.)

Total fertility rate:
1.55 children born/woman (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 185

Contraceptive prevalence rate:
84.6% (2006)

Health expenditures:
5.2% of GDP (2011)
country comparison to the world: 135

Physicians density:
1.46 physicians/1,000 population (2010)
Hospital bed density:
3.8 beds/1,000 population (2011)

Drinking water source:
improved:
urban: 98.4% of population
rural: 84.9% of population
total: 91.7% of population
unimproved:
urban: 1.6% of population
rural: 15.1% of population
total: 8.3% of population (2011 est.)

Sanitation facility access:
improved:
urban: 74.1% of population
rural: 55.8% of population
total: 65.1% of population
unimproved:
urban: 25.9% of population
rural: 44.2% of population
total: 34.9% of population (2011 est.)

HIV/AIDS – adult prevalence rate:
0.1% (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 130

HIV/AIDS – people living with HIV/AIDS:
780,000 (2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 13

HIV/AIDS – deaths:
26,000 (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 16

Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: intermediate
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne disease: Japanese encephalitis
soil contact disease: hantaviral hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS)
note: highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified in this country; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds (2013)

Obesity – adult prevalence rate:
5.7% (2008)
country comparison to the world: 152

Children under the age of 5 years underweight:
3.4% (2010)
country comparison to the world: 105

Education expenditures:
NA

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 95.1%
male: 97.5%
female: 92.7% (2010 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 13 years
male: 13 years
female: 13 years (2012)

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Government

Country name:
conventional long form: People’s Republic of China
conventional short form: China
local long form: Zhonghua Renmin Gongheguo
local short form: Zhongguo
abbreviation: PRC

Government type:
Communist state

Capital:
name: Beijing
geographic coordinates: 39 55 N, 116 23 E
time difference: UTC+8 (13 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
note: despite its size, all of China falls within one time zone; many people in Xinjiang Province observe an unofficial “Xinjiang time zone” of UTC+6, two hours behind Beijing

Administrative divisions:
23 provinces (sheng, singular and plural), 5 autonomous regions (zizhiqu, singular and plural), and 4 municipalities (shi, singular and plural)
provinces: Anhui, Fujian, Gansu, Guangdong, Guizhou, Hainan, Hebei, Heilongjiang, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Jilin, Liaoning, Qinghai, Shaanxi, Shandong, Shanxi, Sichuan, Yunnan, Zhejiang; (see note on Taiwan)
autonomous regions: Guangxi, Nei Mongol (Inner Mongolia), Ningxia, Xinjiang Uygur, Xizang (Tibet)
municipalities: Beijing, Chongqing, Shanghai, Tianjin
note: China considers Taiwan its 23rd province; see separate entries for the special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macau

Independence:
1 October 1949 (People’s Republic of China established); notable earlier dates: 221 B.C. (unification under the Qin Dynasty); 1 January 1912 (Qing Dynasty replaced by the Republic of China)

National holiday:
anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, 1 October (1949)

Constitution:
several previous; latest promulgated 4 December 1982; amended several times, last in 2005 (2005)

Legal system:
civil law influenced by Soviet and continental European civil law systems; legislature retains power to interpret statutes; note – criminal procedure law revised in early 2012

International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President XI Jinping (since 14 March 2013); Vice President LI Yuanchao (since 14 March 2013)
head of government: Premier LI Keqiang (since 16 March 2013); Executive Vice Premier ZHANG Gaoli (since 16 March 2013), Vice Premier LIU Yandong (since 16 March 2013), Vice Premier MA Kai (since 16 March 2013), and Vice Premier WANG Yang (since 16 March 2013)
cabinet: State Council appointed by National People’s Congress
(For more information visit the World Leaders website Opens in New Window)
elections: president and vice president elected by National People’s Congress for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); elections last held on 5-17 March 2013 (next to be held in March 2018); premier nominated by president, confirmed by National People’s Congress
election results: XI Jinping elected president by National People’s Congress with a total of 2,952 votes; LI Yuanchao elected vice president with a total of 2,940 votes

Legislative branch:
unicameral National People’s Congress or Quanguo Renmin Daibiao Dahui (2,987 seats; members elected by municipal, regional, and provincial people’s congresses, and People’s Liberation Army to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held in December 2012-February 2013 (next to be held in late 2017 to early 2018)
election results: percent of vote – NA; seats – 2,987
note: in practice, only members of the CCP, its eight allied parties, and CCP-approved independent candidates are elected

Judicial branch:
highest court(s): Supreme People’s Court (consists of over 340 judges including the chief justice, 13 grand justices organized into a civil committee and tribunals for civil, economic, administrative, complaint and appeal, and communication and transportation cases)
note – in October 2012, China issued a white paper on planned judicial reform
judge selection and term of office: chief justice appointed by the People’s National Congress; term limited to two consecutive 5-year terms; other justices and judges nominated by the chief justice and appointed by the Standing Committee of the People’s National Congress; term of other justices and judges NA
subordinate courts: Higher People’s Courts; Intermediate People’s Courts; District and County People’s Courts; Autonomous Region People’s Courts; Special People’s Courts for military, maritime, transportation, and forestry issues

Political parties and leaders:
Chinese Communist Party or CCP [XI Jinping]
eight nominally independent small parties ultimately controlled by the CCP

Political pressure groups and leaders:
no substantial political opposition groups exist

International organization participation:
ADB, AfDB (nonregional member), APEC, ARF, ASEAN (dialogue partner), BIS, CDB, CICA, EAS, FAO, FATF, G-20, G-24 (observer), G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, LAIA (observer), MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSMA, MONUSCO, NAM (observer), NSG, OAS (observer), OPCW, Pacific Alliance (observer), PCA, PIF (partner), SAARC (observer), SCO, SICA (observer), UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNISFA, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNMIT, UNOCI, UNSC (permanent), UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador CUI Tiankai (since 3 April 2013)
chancery: 3505 International Place NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 495-2266
FAX: [1] (202) 495-2138
consulate(s) general: Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Max Sieben BAUCUS (since 21 February 2014)
embassy: 55 An Jia Lou Lu, 100600 Beijing
mailing address: PSC 461, Box 50, FPO AP 96521-0002
telephone: [86] (10) 8531-3000
FAX: [86] (10) 8531-3300
consulate(s) general: Chengdu, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Shenyang, Wuhan

Flag description:
red with a large yellow five-pointed star and four smaller yellow five-pointed stars (arranged in a vertical arc toward the middle of the flag) in the upper hoist-side corner; the color red represents revolution, while the stars symbolize the four social classes – the working class, the peasantry, the urban petty bourgeoisie, and the national bourgeoisie (capitalists) – united under the Communist Party of China

National symbol(s):
dragon

National anthem:
name: “Yiyongjun Jinxingqu” (The March of the Volunteers)

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Economy

Economy – overview:
Since the late 1970s China has moved from a closed, centrally planned system to a more market-oriented one that plays a major global role – in 2010 China became the world’s largest exporter. Reforms began with the phasing out of collectivized agriculture, and expanded to include the gradual liberalization of prices, fiscal decentralization, increased autonomy for state enterprises, growth of the private sector, development of stock markets and a modern banking system, and opening to foreign trade and investment. China has implemented reforms in a gradualist fashion. In recent years, China has renewed its support for state-owned enterprises in sectors considered important to “economic security,” explicitly looking to foster globally competitive industries.

After keeping its currency tightly linked to the US dollar for years, in July 2005 China moved to an exchange rate system that references a basket of currencies. From mid 2005 to late 2008 cumulative appreciation of the renminbi against the US dollar was more than 20%, but the exchange rate remained virtually pegged to the dollar from the onset of the global financial crisis until June 2010, when Beijing allowed resumption of a gradual appreciation and expanded the daily trading band within which the RMB is permitted to fluctuate. The restructuring of the economy and resulting efficiency gains have contributed to a more than tenfold increase in GDP since 1978. Measured on a purchasing power parity (PPP) basis that adjusts for price differences, China in 2013 stood as the second-largest economy in the world after the US, having surpassed Japan in 2001. The dollar values of China’s agricultural and industrial output each exceed those of the US; China is second to the US in the value of services it produces. Still, per capita income is below the world average.

The Chinese government faces numerous economic challenges, including: (a) reducing its high domestic savings rate and correspondingly low domestic consumption; (b) facilitating higher-wage job opportunities for the aspiring middle class, including rural migrants and increasing numbers of college graduates; (c) reducing corruption and other economic crimes; and (d) containing environmental damage and social strife related to the economy’s rapid transformation.

Economic development has progressed further in coastal provinces than in the interior, and by 2011 more than 250 million migrant workers and their dependents had relocated to urban areas to find work. One consequence of population control policy is that China is now one of the most rapidly aging countries in the world. Deterioration in the environment – notably air pollution, soil erosion, and the steady fall of the water table, especially in the North – is another long-term problem. China continues to lose arable land because of erosion and economic development. The Chinese government is seeking to add energy production capacity from sources other than coal and oil, focusing on nuclear and alternative energy development. Several factors are converging to slow China’s growth, including debt overhang from its credit-fueled stimulus program, industrial overcapacity, inefficient allocation of capital by state-owned banks, and the slow recovery of China’s trading partners.

The government’s 12th Five-Year Plan, adopted in March 2011 and reiterated at the Communist Party’s “Third Plenum” meeting in November 2013, emphasizes continued economic reforms and the need to increase domestic consumption in order to make the economy less dependent in the future on fixed investments, exports, and heavy industry. However, China has made only marginal progress toward these rebalancing goals. The new government of President XI Jinping has signaled a greater willingness to undertake reforms that focus on China’s long-term economic health, including giving the market a more decisive role in allocating resources.

GDP (purchasing power parity):
$13.39 trillion (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 3
$12.43 trillion (2012 est.)
$11.54 trillion (2011 est.)
note: data are in 2013 US dollars

GDP (official exchange rate):
$9.33 trillion
note: because China’s exchange rate is determine by fiat, rather than by market forces, the official exchange rate measure of GDP is not an accurate measure of China’s output; GDP at the official exchange rate substantially understates the actual level of China’s output vis-a-vis the rest of the world; in China’s situation, GDP at purchasing power parity provides the best measure for comparing output across countries (2013 est.)

GDP – real growth rate:
7.7% (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 14
7.7% (2012 est.)
9.3% (2011 est.)

GDP – per capita (PPP):
$9,800 (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 121
$9,100 (2012 est.)
$8,300 (2011 est.)
note: data are in 2013 US dollars

Gross national saving:
50% of GDP (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 4
51.2% of GDP (2012 est.)
50.1% of GDP (2011 est.)

GDP – composition, by end use:
household consumption: 36.3%
government consumption: 13.7%
investment in fixed capital: 46%
investment in inventories: 1.2%
exports of goods and services: 25.1%
imports of goods and services: -22.2%
(2013 est.)

GDP – composition, by sector of origin:
agriculture: 10%
industry: 43.9%
services: 46.1%
(2013 est.)

Agriculture – products:
world leader in gross value of agricultural output; rice, wheat, potatoes, corn, peanuts, tea, millet, barley, apples, cotton, oilseed; pork; fish

Industries:
world leader in gross value of industrial output; mining and ore processing, iron, steel, aluminum, and other metals, coal; machine building; armaments; textiles and apparel; petroleum; cement; chemicals; fertilizers; consumer products, including footwear, toys, and electronics; food processing; transportation equipment, including automobiles, rail cars and locomotives, ships, and aircraft; telecommunications equipment, commercial space launch vehicles, satellites

Industrial production growth rate:
7.6% (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 29

Labor force:
797.6 million
country comparison to the world: 1
note: by the end of 2012, China’s population at working age (15-64 years) was 1.0040 billion (2013 est.)

Labor force – by occupation:
agriculture: 33.6%
industry: 30.3%
services: 36.1%
(2012 est.)

Unemployment rate:
4.1% (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 32
4.1% (2012 est.)
note: registered urban unemployment, which excludes private enterprises and migrants, was 4.1% in 2012

Population below poverty line:
6.1%
note: in 2011, China set a new poverty line at RMB 2300 (approximately US $3,630)
(2013)

Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 1.7%
highest 10%: 30%
note: data are for urban households only (2009)

Distribution of family income – Gini index:
47.3 (2013)
country comparison to the world: 27
47.4 (2012)

Budget:
revenues: $2.118 trillion
expenditures: $2.292 trillion (2013 est.)

Taxes and other revenues:
19.4% of GDP (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 169

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-):
-2.1% of GDP (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 89

Public debt:
22.4% of GDP (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 134
26.1% of GDP (2012)
note: official data; data cover both central government debt and local government debt, which China’s National Audit Office estimated at RMB 10.72 trillion (approximately US$1.66 trillion) in 2011; data exclude policy bank bonds, Ministry of Railway debt, China Asset Management Company debt, and non-performing loans

Fiscal year:
calendar year

Inflation rate (consumer prices):
2.6% (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 100
2.6% (2012 est.)

Central bank discount rate:
2.25% (31 December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 110
2.25% (31 December 2012 est.)

Commercial bank prime lending rate:
5.73% (31 December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 132
6% (31 December 2012 est.)

Stock of narrow money:
$5.532 trillion (31 December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 3
$4.911 trillion (31 December 2012 est.)

Stock of broad money:
$18.15 trillion (31 December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 1
$15.5 trillion (31 December 2012 est.)

Stock of domestic credit:
$11.79 trillion (31 December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 4
$10.02 trillion (31 December 2012 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares:
$6.499 trillion (31 December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 2
$5.753 trillion (31 December 2012)
$3.389 trillion (31 December 2011 est.)

Current account balance:
$182.8 billion (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 2
$215.4 billion (2012 est.)

Exports:
$2.21 trillion (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 1
$2.049 trillion (2012 est.)

Exports – commodities:
electrical and other machinery, including data processing equipment, apparel, radio telephone handsets, textiles, integrated circuits

Exports – partners:
Hong Kong 17.4%, US 16.7%, Japan 6.8%, South Korea 4.1% (2013 est.)

Imports:
$1.95 trillion (2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 3
$1.818 trillion (2012 est.)

Imports – commodities:
electrical and other machinery, oil and mineral fuels; nuclear reactor, boiler, and machinery components; optical and medical equipment, metal ores, motor vehicles; soybeans

Imports – partners:
South Korea 9.4%, Japan 8.3%, Taiwan 8%, United States 7.8%, Australia 5%, Germany 4.8% (2013 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$3.821 trillion (31 December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 1
$3.388 trillion (31 December 2012 est.)

Debt – external:
$863.2 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 19
$737 billion (31 December 2012 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment – at home:
$1.344 trillion (31 December 2012 est.)
country comparison to the world: 4
$1.232 trillion (31 December 2011 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment – abroad:
$541 billion (31 December 2013 est.)
country comparison to the world: 15
$531.9 billion (31 December 2012 est.)

Exchange rates:
Renminbi yuan (RMB) per US dollar –
6.2 (2013 est.)
6.3123 (2012 est.)
6.7703 (2010 est.)
6.8314 (2009)
6.9385 (2008)

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