Demographic Profile

China is the most populated country in the world with the most recent numbers charting 1.3 billion citizens in 2010. With a natural rate of increase of 0.5 percent, it is projected that the numbers will grow to reach 1.4 billion by the year 2050. China has an extremely large population, but due partly to the One-Child Policy implemented in 1979, the fertility rate is only 1.5, and there are only about 12 births per 1,000 women. Currently China’s fertility rate, birthrate, and mortality rate are all level with world’s more developed countries. However, infant mortality rates are slightly high in China, at 21 per 1,000 women, which was above the regional average of East Asian nations, which was at 20 in 2010. The number of infant moralities for 2011 is estimated to fall to 16 in China, but it is anticipated that more deaths will occur in female infants than male (K).

Urban areas hold 47 percent of China's population with an annual urbanization rate of change of 2.3 percent. 98 percent of the urban population has improved drinking water and 58 percent has improved sanitary facility. However due to the great disparity between urban and rural areas, 48 percent of the rural population has unimproved sanitation facilities and 18 percent has unimproved drinking water (K). China’s economy is 38.1 percent agricultural, 27.8 percent industrial, and 34.1 percent national services. In 2010 China’s gross domestic production experienced a real growth rate of 10.3 percent, placing it at 6th highest annual GDP growth in the world for that year (K).

China, just like most of the world, is facing a rising epidemic of AIDS and HIV. In 1987, after 2 Chinese citizens had passed away due to AIDS related illness, China joined the global fight against AIDS. From the strength of which the Chinese government began its fight against AIDS and HIV, today the percentage of the population with AIDS and HIV between the ages of 15 and 49 are remarkably low. Only 0.1 percent of males and less than 0.1 percent of female have HIV or AIDS (M).