The Communist Party of China saw its membership grow at the slowest pace in at least five years in 2025, while the average age of members continued to rise, according to official data released on Tuesday by the Central Committee’s Organisation Department, the party’s top personnel office.
The party’s membership reached 101 million by the end of last year, representing a 1 percent increase from the previous year. This marked the weakest annual growth rate since records began, continuing a downward trend that started in 2021 when expansion reached 3.7 percent.
According to the report, approximately 30 percent of party members were aged 61 or older—the highest proportion in at least five years, up from just under 29 percent in 2024. The aging trend has accelerated in recent years, with the share of members over 60 rising steadily since 2022, increasing by 1.43 percentage points between 2023 and 2025 alone.
