The Communist Party of China (CPC) had a total of 87.793 million members at the end of 2014, a figure greater than the population of Germany.

Last year, CPC members increased by 1.1 million compared to 2013, up 1.3 percent, according to the Organization Department of the CPC Central Committee.

The grassroots Party units increased by 56,000 to 4.36 million, also up 1.3 percent, the department said in a communiqué published ahead of the 94th anniversary of the CPC's founding on July 1.

The statistics showed that the growth rate of CPC members has dropped while the structure of its members has improved, a proof of the increased vigor and vitality of the Party, the communiqué said.

In 2014 the CPC recruited 2.057 million new members, 351,000 less than in 2013, including 962,000 members from the front line of work and production, accounting for 46.8 percent of all new members.

The drop in recruits is a result of the new CPC's guidelines for recruiting members, which require all localities and organizations to enlist new Party members in a "prudent" and "balanced" manner.

The figures suggested an emphasis on youth and education, with 1.7 million new members aged under 35. A total of 37.755 million members, or 43 percent of the total, have college degrees or advanced degrees, up 1.4 percentage points.

The Party has 21.672 million female members as of the end of 2014, up 0.4 percentage points. 

The coverage rate of grassroots Party units has increased, especially in the newly-emerging sectors. More than 99 percent of grassroots in city sub-districts, villages and communities have CPC units, and 1.579 million non-public enterprises have CPC units, accounting for 53.1 percent of the total.

Here is a close look at the CPC members, which account for less than 7 percent of China's total population.