China’s Communist Party had more than 100 million members by the end of 2024, an increase of about 1 per cent from the previous year, according to official data released ahead of the party’s 104th anniversary.

However, the rate of membership growth has continued to slow, with one insider attributing this to stricter screening by the Central Organisation Department (COD), the party’s top personnel office.

In keeping with tradition, the membership data for the previous year was released a day ahead of the July 1 celebrations marking the party’s founding in 1921.

According to the COD, the party had 100.27 million members by the end of 2024, a net increase of 1.09 million, or 1.1 per cent. That compares with 1.2 per cent growth in 2023 and 1.4 per cent in 2022, indicating continued slowing.

China’s ruling party continues to be the world’s No 2 political party by membership strength, after India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party – which claimed to have crossed 140 million members last week.

As of September 2024, the Democratic and Republican parties in the United States had 45.1 million and 36 million registered voters respectively, ranking them as the world’s fifth and sixth largest political parties by membership.

Unlike registered voters in Western political systems, who may only have a loose affiliation with their endorsed political party, including casting votes and making occasional donations, Communist Party members in China are subjected to much tighter regulations. This includes membership fees of up to 2 per cent of their monthly pay, which goes into the party funds, and regular attendance at party meetings and basic organisational “cell” activities.

An official source familiar with the matter said the party wanted to “get the right people from the start”, as it has been tightening the political screening process, resulting in more rejections and longer probation periods.

“This is not a numbers game. It is not the more the merrier,” the source said.

“[Investigations by] the anti-corruption agency show many corrupt officials had wrong motives when they joined the party. The organisation department at all levels has been instructed to weed out those who show early signs of little conviction and could easily fall prey to temptation.”

The more stringent screening has resulted in a longer waiting list as applications to join the party continue to grow, since membership is still widely regarded as a prerequisite for a meaningful political career.

By the end of 2024, there were 21.42 million applicants waiting in line, an increase of 440,000 applicants over 2023, according to the COD data.

The party also continues to attract more educated members, with nearly 58 per cent holding a college degree or higher in the 2024 data. But while their numbers increased by 2 million, the growth was smaller than the 2.13 million recorded in 2023.

Members are also getting markedly older, with the number of those aged 35 or below falling by 2.4 per cent to 23.04 million in 2024.

Those above 61 years of age totalled 28.97 million, making up 29 per cent of the total membership and marking a 4 per cent increase, more than double the increase recorded in 2023, when their total number was 27.87 million.