Party members gather at a monument commemorating the local revolutionary war in Qionghai, South China's Hainan Province, to solemnly reaffirm their Party oath, honor revolutionary martyrs, and express their unwavering loyalty and commitment to the Party's cause on June 30, 2025. Photo: VCG

The Communist Party of China (CPC) had more than 100.27 million members at the end of 2024, an increase of nearly 1.09 million from 2023, according to a report issued Monday ahead of the Party's 104th founding anniversary, the Xinhua News Agency reported. 

The CPC's membership has steadily expanded, with its structure continuing to improve and primary-level Party organizations growing stronger, said the report released by the Organization Department of the CPC Central Committee.

As of the end of 2024, the CPC had 5.25 million primary-level organizations, an increase of 74,000 over the previous year.

The CPC continues to pursue self-supervision and self-governance by upholding the spirit of reform and applying strict standards. It has focused on strengthening primary-level organizations, and nurturing a team of Party members who hold themselves to the highest standards, so as to provide an organizational foundation for building China into a strong country and realizing national rejuvenation through Chinese modernization.

According to the report, more than 2.13 million people joined the CPC in 2024. Of these, 52.6 percent were from the forefront of production and work, 54.4 percent held diplomas of junior college or above, and 83.7 percent were aged 35 or younger.

Zhang Xixian, a professor at the Party School of the CPC Central Committee, told the Global Times on Monday that the vast Party membership provides strong organizational support for advancing its cause.

Party membership has grown from just over 50 at the time of the CPC's First National Congress some 104 years ago to over 100 million today, which Zhang said reflects the CPC's vibrancy, health, and resilience as it advances in the 21st century. 

Su Wei, a professor at the Party School of the CPC Chongqing Municipal Committee, believed that the continuous and steady growth of the Party organization stems from the correctness of the Party's guidelines, which have driven China's remarkable development and improved people's well-being, winning broad popular support.

"Many young people, as well as older people, are actively applying to join the Party, a clear reflection of its appeal and cohesion," Su added.

Ahead of the celebration of the Party's 104th founding anniversary on Tuesday, You Benchang, a 92-year-old actor with the National Theatre of China, officially pledged his oath to join the CPC on Monday, according to a report from the people.cn. "I'm thankful that the CPC has accepted me, and I feel truly honored for my whole life," he said in a video released by the outlet.

As the CPC founding anniversary approaches, multiple regions across China have organized commemorative activities, including quizzes on CPC history, exhibition of Party-related old artifacts, stories shared by veterans and exemplary Party members, and Party-themed cultural performances.

People visit the Memorial of the Communist Party of China (CPC)'s First National Congress in Shanghai on July 1, which marks the 103rd founding anniversary of the CPC. The founding fathers of the CPC secretly convened the first National Congress of the CPC in the two-story brick-and-wood building in downtown Shanghai in 1921. The building was turned into a memorial site in 1952 and continues to be a patriotic education base and popular tourist attraction in Shanghai. Photo: VCG

Further refined 

Beyond its expanding scale, the Party's membership has also seen positive changes in terms of its composition, according to the report released by the Organization Department of the CPC Central Committee.

The report showed that about 57.79 million Party members, or 57.6 percent of the overall membership, held junior college degrees or above at the end of 2024, a 1.4 percentage point increase from the previous year.

By the end of 2024, the CPC had nearly 31 million female members, accounting for 30.9 percent of its total membership, up 0.5 percentage points from the previous year. Members from ethnic minority groups accounted for 7.7 percent.

Workers and farmers made up approximately 33 percent of all CPC members.

Education and management of Party members have continued to improve, with the number of Party members receiving training in 2024 rising by 16.5 percent compared with the previous year.

"Advancing Chinese modernization requires a high-quality, highly educated team of Party members," Zhang said, "The rising education level of Party members and the shift toward a more highly educated membership align with the needs of Chinese modernization, reflect the Party's ability to keep pace with the times."

Su told the Global Times that the growing number of highly educated youth and intellectuals joining the Party reflects the achievements of Chinese modernization, which has significantly enhanced the educational attainment of the Chinese people and the technological development of China in the past decades.

The report also noted efforts to strengthen primary-level Party organizations. 

At the end of 2024, there were 306,000 primary-level Party committees across the country, an increase of 9,000 from 2023. The numbers of primary-level general Party branches and Party branches increased to 330,000 and around 4.61 million, respectively.

In 2024, village-level Party leadership was further strengthened, supporting efforts to advance rural revitalization across the country. At the end of 2024, there were nearly 485,000 secretaries of Party organizations in villages, 47.6 percent of whom held junior college degrees or higher.

According to Zhang, strengthening grassroots Party organizations is key to consolidating and expanding the Party's foundation among the masses. Building strong, close-knit ties with the people through these organizations is vital to maintaining the Party's sustained progressiveness and vitality.

A Beijing-based grassroots Party member and civil servant surnamed Tang, in his 30s, told the Global Times on Monday that the CPC has always exercised power for the people and placing them at the center of its mission.

He said he was committed to improving people's sense of well-being, and expressed confidence that China would continue to grow stronger under the leadership of the CPC.