The 1953 Chinese census, officially the First National Population Census of the People's Republic of China, was conducted by the People's Republic of China starting on June 30, 1953. The results were summarized in Chinese newspapers on November 1, 1954. As the full results were not published, they had to subsequently be assembled from Soviet sources over the next five years.

First National Census

30 June 1953 1964 →

General information
CountryChina
Results
Total population582,603,417
Most populous ​provinceHenan
Least populous ​provinceTibet Autonomous Region

Results edit

Total population edit

The official summaries listed the total population of Mainland China in 1953 as 582,603,417.

Demographics edit

13.26% of the population (77,257,282 persons) were listed as residing in urban areas comprising 163 cities,[n 1] industrial and mining districts,[n 2] and about 1450 towns.[n 3] Of the urban population, roughly 1 in 12 resided in Shanghai.

Distribution edit

City Province/Municipality/Region/Autonomous Region Population
1953 Census[1][2]
Population
previous estimates[3][4]
Numerical Change Relative Change
Huainan Anhui 286,900
Bengbu Anhui 253,000 201,000  52,000 25.87%
Wuhu Anhui 242,100 204,000  38,100 18.68%
Hefei Anhui 183,600 70,000  113,600 162.3%
Anqing Anhui 105,300 121,000  15,700 -12.98%
Tunxi Anhui >50,000
Hangzhou Zhejiang 696,600 518,000  178,600 34.48%
Ningbo Zhejiang 237,500 210,000  27,500 13.10%
Wenzhou Zhejiang 201,600 157,000  44,600 28.41%
Shaoxing Zhejiang 130,600 93,000  37,600 40.43%
Jiaxing Zhejiang 78,300 53,000  25,300 47.7%
Huzhou Zhejiang 62,700 45,000  17,700 39.3%
Jinhua Zhejiang 46,200 23,000  23,200 101%
Fuzhou Fujian 553,000 331,000  222,000 67.1%
Xiamen Fujian 224,300 158,000  66,300 41.96%
Quanzhou Fujian 107,700 121,000  13,300 -10.99%
Zhangzhou Fujian 81,200 62,000  19,200 31.0%
Harbin Municipality of Harbin 1,163,000 760,000  403,000 53.03%
Qiqihar Heilongjiang 344,700 175,000  169,700 96.97%
Mudanjiang Songjiang 151,400 200,000  48,600 -24.3%
Jiamusi Songjiang 146,000 168,000  18,000 -10.7%
Hegang Songjiang 90,000
Zhengzhou Henan 594,700 197,000  397,700 201.9%
Kaifeng Henan 299,100 303,000  3,900 -1.29%
Luoyang Henan 171,200 77,000  94,200 122.3%
Xinxiang Henan 170,500
Shangqiu Henan 134,400 70,000  64,400 92.0%
Anyang Henan 124,900 60,000  64,900 108.2%
Zhoukou Henan 85,500 200,000  114,500 -57.3%
Xuchang Henan 58,000 50,000  8,000 16.0%
Nanyang Henan >50,000 50,000
Xinyang Henan >50,000
Zhumadian Henan <50,000
Luohe Henan <50,000
Beijing Municipality of Beijing 2,768,149 1,603,000  1,165,000 72.68%
Tianjin Municipality of Tianjin 2,693,831 1,687,000  1,007,000 59.69%
Tangshan Hebei 693,300 137,000  556,300 406.1%
Shijiazhuang Hebei 373,400 125,000  248,400 198.7%
Zhangjiakou Hebei 229,300 151,000  78,300 51.85%
Baoding Hebei 197,000 130,000  67,000 51.5%
Qinhuangdao Hebei 186,800 100,000  86,800 86.80%
Xuanhua City Hebei 114,100
Chengde Rehe 92,900 60,000  32,900 54.8%
Hangu City Municipality of Tianjin >50,000
Handan Hebei >50,000
Botou(Cangzhou) Hebei >50,000
Xingtai Hebei >50,000
Tongzhou Hebei >50,000
Changsha Hunan 650,600 396,000  254,600 64.29%
Hengyang Hunan 235,000 181,000  54,000 29.8%
Xiangtan Hunan 183,600 83,000  100,600 121.2%
Zhuzhou Hunan 127,300
Shaoyang Hunan 117,700 76,000  41,700 54.87%
Changde Hunan 94,800 50,000  44,800 89.6%
Jinshi(Changde) Hunan >50,000 58,000
Yiyang Hunan >50,000 80,000
Hongjiang Hunan <50,000
Wuhan Municipality of Wuhan 1,427,300 1,100,000  327,300 29.73%
Huangshi Hubei 110,500
Shashi City Hubei 85,800 114,000  28,200 -24.7%
Xiangfan Hubei 73,300 66,000  7,300 11.1%
Yichang Hubei >50,000 81,000
Baotou Suiyuan 149,400 82,000  67,400 82.2%
Guisui Suiyuan 148,400 110,000  38,400 34.9%
Ulanhot(Hinggan League) Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region 51,400
Hailar(Hulunbuir Nunmoron League) Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region 43,200 16,000  27,200 170%
Manzhouli(Hulunbuir Nunmoron League) Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region <50,000
Tongliao(Jirem League) Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region <50,000
Lanzhou Gansu 387,400 156,000  231,400 148.3%
Tianshui Gansu 63,000 50,000  13,000 26%
Linxia City Gansu >50,000
Pingliang Gansu >50,000 55,000
Nanchang Jiangxi 398,200 267,000  131,200 49.1%
Ganzhou Jiangxi 98,600 59,000  39,600 67.1%
Jingdezhen Jiangxi 92,000 87,000  5,000 5.7%
Jiujiang Jiangxi 64,600 121,000  56,400 -46.6%
Ji'an Jiangxi 52,800 69,000  16,200 -23.5%
Shangrao Jiangxi >50,000 31,000
Shanghai Municipality of Shanghai 6,204,417 4,300,000  1,900,000 44.2%
Nanjing Jiangsu 1,091,600 1,137,000  45,400 -3.99%
Wuxi Jiangsu 581,500 273,000  308,500 113.0%
Suzhou Jiangsu 474,000 381,000  93,000 24.4%
Xuzhou Jiangsu 373,200 340,000  33,200 9.76%
Changzhou Jiangsu 296,500 125,000  171,500 137.2%
Nantong Jiangsu 260,400 133,000  127,400 95.79%
Xinhailian Jiangsu 207,600 48,000  159,600 332.5%
Zhenjiang Jiangsu 201,400 179,000  22,400 12.5%
Yangzhou Jiangsu 180,200 127,000  53,200 41.9%
Taizhou Jiangsu 159,800 131,000  28,800 22.0%
Changshu Jiangsu 101,400 64,000  37,400 58.4%
Qingjiang Jiangsu 77,000 47,000  30,000 65%
Changchun Municipality of Changchun 855,200 630,000  225,200 35.75%
Jilin Jilin 435,400 247,000  188,400 76.28%
Tonghua Liaodong 129,100 80,000  49,100 61.4%
Siping Liaoxi 125,900 76,000  49,900 65.7%
Liaoyuan Liaodong 120,100
Yanji(Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture) Jilin 70,000 43,000  37,000 86%
Nanning Guangxi 194,900 203,000  8,100 -4.0%
Liuzhou Guangxi 158,800 208,000  49,200 -23.65%
Guilin Guangxi 145,100 142,000  3,100 2.18%
Wuzhou Guangxi 110,800 207,000  96,200 -46.5%
Guangzhou Municipality of Guangzhou 1,598,900 1,413,000  185,900 13.16%
Shantou Guangdong 280,400 215,000  65,400 30.4%
Zhanjiang Guangdong 166,000 268,000  102,000 -38.1%
Haikou Guangdong 135,300 60,000  75,300 126%
Foshan Guangdong 122,500 96,000  26,500 27.6%
Chaozhou Guangdong 101,300 59,000  42,300 71.7%
Jiangmen Guangdong 85,000 50,000  35,000 70%
Shaoguan Guangdong 81,700 73,000  8,700 11.9%
Beihai Guangxi >50,000 36,000
Guiyang Guizhou 270,900 240,000  30,900 12.9%
Zunyi Guizhou 97,500 66,000  31,500 47.7%
Shenyang Municipality of Shenyang 2,299,900 1,121,000  1,178,900 105.1%
Dalian Municipality of Lüda 766,400 544,000  222,400 40.88%
Fushun Municipality of Fushun 678,600 280,000  398,600 142.4%
Anshan Municipality of Anshan 548,900 166,000  382,900 230.7%
Benxi Municipality of Benxi 449,000 98,000  351,000 358%
Andong Liaodong 360,000 271,000  89,000 32.8%
Jinzhou Liaoxi 352,200 148,000  104,200 70.4%
Fuxin Liaoxi 188,600 166,000  22,600 13.6%
Yingkou Liaodong 131,400 159,000  27,600 -17.4%
Lüshun Municipality of Lüda 126,000 27,000  99,000 367%
Liaoyang Liaodong >100,000 102,000
Yinchuan Ningxia 84,000 41,000  43,000 105%
Wuzhong Ningxia <50,000
Taiyuan Shanxi 720,700 252,000   468,700 186.0%
Datong Shanxi 228,500 80,000  148,500 185.6%
Yangquan Shanxi 177,400
Changzhi Shanxi 97,800
Yuci Shanxi 60,000
Qingdao Shandong 916,800 788,000  128,800 16.35%
Jinan Shandong 680,100 575,000  105,100 18.3%
Zibo Shandong 184,200
Weifang Shandong 148,900
Jining Shandong 86,200 150,000  63,800 -42.5%
Zhangzhou Shandong >50,000
Linqing(Liaocheng) Shandong <50,000 50,000
Dezhou Shandong <50,000
Weihai Shandong <50,000 175,000
Xi'an Municipality of Xi'an 787,300 503,000  284,300 56.52%
Baoji Shaanxi 130,100 56,000  84,100 150%
Hanzhong Shaanxi >50,000 59,000
Xianyang Shaanxi >50,000 16,000
Dihua Xinjiang 140,700 70,000  70,700 101%
Qulja Xinjiang 108,200
Kashgar Xinjiang 91,000 50,000  41,000 82%
Chongqing Municipality of Chongqing 1,772,500 1,000,000  772,500 77.3%
Chengdu Sichuan 856,700 648,000   208,700 32.21%
Zigong Sichuan 291,300 223,000  68,300 30.6%
Luzhou Sichuan 289,000 50,000  239,000 478%
Wutongqiao City Sichuan 199,100
Neijiang Sichuan 190,200 32,000  158,200 494%
Yibin Sichuan 177,500 80,000  97,500 121.9%
Nanchong Sichuan 164,700 60,000  104,700 174.5%
Beibei Municipality of Chongqing >100,000
Ya'an Xikang 55,200
Wanxian Sichuan >50,000 110,000
Hechuan Sichuan >50,000 40,000
Lhasa Tibet Region 50,000
Xining Qinghai 93,700 59,000  34,700 58.8%
Kunming Yunnan 698,900 300,000  398,900 133.0%
Gejiu Yunnan 159,700 16,000  143,700 898%
Xiaguan City Yunnan 26,200

Controversy edit

China had never previously had an official national census in the modern period[5] and estimates of its population even in 1911 varied between 200,000,000 and 400,000,000.[6] Mistrust of PRC statistics that saw the number of cities go from 60 under the Nationalist government to 103 within four years and that involved "indirectly survey[ing]" several areas including Tibet led some Western academics like George Cressey to claim, "These inflated figures are designed to impress the world with China's strength, to support claims for a falling death rate, or to supply an excuse for food shortages."[7]

See also edit

Notes edit

  1. ^ Chinese: , p shì. (103 locations with a population greater than 100,000 and 60 others considered to be major economic centers.)
  2. ^ t 工礦處, s 工矿处, p gōngkuàngchù, w kung-k'uang ch'ü.
  3. ^ t , s , p zhèn, w chen.

References edit

  1. ^ Shiger, A.G. The Administrative-Territorial Divisions of Foreign Countries, 2d ed, pp. 142–144. (Moscow), 1957 (Using 1953 census). Op cit. in Shabad, Theodore (1959). "The Population of China's Cities". Geographical Review. 49 (1): 32–42. doi:10.2307/211567. JSTOR 211567.
  2. ^ Great Soviet Encyclopedia, 2d ed. (Moscow), 1958. Op cit. in Shabad, supra.
  3. ^ Trewartha, Glenn T. (December 1951). "Chinese Cities: Numbers and Distribution". Annals of the Association of American Geographers. 41 (4): 331–347. doi:10.1080/00045605109352078. JSTOR 2561073. Op cit. in Shabad, supra.
  4. ^ Seltzer, L.E. (ed.) Columbia Lippincott Gazetteer of the World. (New York), 1952 (Using prior surveys from 1948). Op cit. in Shabad, supra.
  5. ^ Alexander, John W. (1948). "The Prewar Population of China: Distribution and Density". Annals of the Association of American Geographers. 38 (1): 1–5. doi:10.1080/00045604809351965. JSTOR 2560922.
  6. ^ Encyclopædia Britannica. "China". 1911.
  7. ^ Cressey, George B. Land of the 500 Million, p. 9. 1955. Op. cit. in Shabad, supra.