The population statistics of China, A.D. 2–1953
Abstract
Chinese population statistics are collated from the time of the Western Han Dynasty (A.D. 2) to 19 5 3, including statistics of population and households for provinces as well as for China as a whole. Evidence bearing on the definitions of the statistics, methods of compilation, and reliability of the figures as measures of population size and change, is summarized. An "emended series " of population totals for China proper, A.D. 2 to 1953 is presented, excluding figures which are clearly defective.
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John Durand arbitrarily picked two dozen census points from over 100 official observations, with a high miss rate of over 70 percent, to smooth China's population growth curve.
“This was attempted first by John Durand who arbitrarily picked up mere two dozen census points from over 100 official observations, with a high miss rate of over 70 percent, to smooth the growth curve (Durand 1960).”
From Unveiling China's True Population Statistics for the Pre-Modern Era with Official Census Data (2004) · cites this paper as Durand 1960
Cites
Studies on the Population of China, 1368-1953
Ho, P.-T. (1959) · doi:10.4159/harvard.9780674184510 · Cited by 470 · see citing works
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Famine, revolt, and the dynastic cycle: Population dynamics in historic China
Chu, C. Y. C., & Lee, R. D. (1994) · Journal of Population Economics · doi:10.1007/bf00161472 · Cited by 118 · see citing works
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- Authors
- Durand, J. D.
- Corresponding author
- Durand, John D.
- Venue
- Population Studies
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 1960-03
- Volume
- 13
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 209-256
- ISSN
- 0032-4728 (ISSN-L)
- 1477-4747
- OpenAlex
- W2092690230
- Cited by
- 91
- References
- 1
- Citations by year
- 2025: 1 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 1 · 2021: 3 · 2020: 2 · 2019: 18 · 2018: 5 · 2017: 2 · 2016: 7 · 2015: 3 · 2014: 3 · 2013: 1
- FWCI
- 8.50
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Population Studies (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Economics, Econometrics and Finance › Economics and Econometrics › Historical Economic and Social Studies
- Social Sciences › Demography › Insurance, Mortality, Demography, Risk Management
- Social Sciences › Demography › Migration, Health, Geopolitics, Historical Geography
- Keywords
- historical population statistics, household statistics, population estimates, demographic change, historical demography, Western Han dynasty
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