Inside China: what researchers need to know
In 30 seconds
China’s cities, shops and phones have changed beyond recognition in ten years. How people think about family, status, relationships and saying no has changed far less. Those slower currents still decide how a respondent answers a survey, behaves in a group or picks one brand over another. This section covers both, briefly, with what each means for your research. It draws on what we have learned from years of fieldwork across China.
China at a glance
| Figure | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 1.405 billion, down for the fourth year running | end 2025 |
| Living in cities | 67.9% (954 million people) | end 2025 |
| Aged 60 and over | 23.0% | end 2025 |
| Births | 7.92 million, the lowest in decades | 2025 |
| Ethnic groups | Han majority plus 55 minority groups, 125 million people (8.9%) | 2020 census |
| Internet users | 1.125 billion, almost all on mobile | end 2025 |
| Online retail | 16.0 trillion yuan; 26% of physical goods bought online | 2025 |
| Income per person | 43,377 yuan a year; 56,502 urban, 24,456 rural | 2025 |
| New vehicles sold | 34.4 million, over half electric or plug-in | 2025 |
| GDP growth | 5.0% | 2025 |
Figures updated October 2026.
What the numbers mean for your research
- Older and shrinking. Almost one person in four is over 60. Samples built only around young city consumers miss a big, growing market.
- Two incomes. City incomes are more than double rural ones. A Beijing and Shanghai sample can badly misread mass-market demand.
- Phone first. Nearly every internet user is on a phone, so surveys, diaries and online groups must work on a small screen.
- Local champions. Chinese brands lead in electric cars, phones and more. Your real competitor is often local.
The ideas behind the behaviour
- Doing research in China today: what’s changed, and what hasn’t
- Confucius and Lao Tzu: two thinkers, one sentence each on why they still matter
- Li: hierarchy, and why the boss speaks first
- Mianzi: face, and why your focus group is so polite
- Guanxi: why the right introduction beats a bigger incentive
- Indirect communication: hearing the no that’s never said
- Collectivism: who else is in the room when someone decides
- Brands and trust: national pride, fakes and how shoppers check
- What’s next: the shifts to plan for
Quick answers
Does culture still matter now China is so modern? Yes. Habits change fast, but face, family and hierarchy still shape how people answer researchers.
Do online surveys work in China? Yes, they’re the norm, if built for mobile and recruited carefully.
Why won’t respondents just say no? Saying no outright risks loss of face for both sides. See Indirect communication.
Sources: National Bureau of Statistics, 2025 Statistical Communiqué and Seventh Census Communiqué No. 2; China Association of Automobile Manufacturers via Gasgoo.
Planning fieldwork in China? Talk to us.