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China has the largest population of any country in the world. According to 2002 statistics, the total population of China is 1.28453 billion (excluding Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan) or about one fifth of the world population. China also has a very dense population, with approximately 135 people per square kilometer.
The population in China is not evenly distributed. Most people reside in the east than in the west. The east coast area is densely populated with more than 400 people living on an area of one square kilometer, while the plateau west is sparsely populated with a per-kilometer population of 10. The average density in the central area is 200 people per square kilometer.
The average life expectancy of a Chinese person has been increased to 71.40 years (69.63 for males and 73.33 for females). This life expectancy is five years longer than the world average, and 7 years longer than other developing countries and regions.
By the end of 2002, the total mainland population of China is 1.28 billion. Among them, some 500 million live in the city, accounting for 39.1% of the total. About 780 million are country dwellers, accounting for 60.9%. 661 million are males while 623 million are females. People aged from zero to fourteen account for 22.4% of the total population; 15-64 account for 70.3%; and 65 and over account for 7.3% of the total population. The yearly birth rate is 12.86%, with 16.5 million babies born each year. The death rate is 6.41%, with yearly deaths of 8.21 million. The annual net increase of the population is 8.26 million, a year-on-year increase of 6.45%.
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