Aiming at the relationship between population distribution evolution and terrain characteristics, based on 30m × 30m DEM and 1km2×1km2 population density raster data, and using spatial analysis methods, this paper studies the evolution characteristics of the population spatial distribution, the population vertical distribution and the population slope distribution in Henan province from 1995 to 2015. The results show that, there are significant imbalances in the population development in the province, the population aggregation in urban built-up area is very obvious. The gradually decreasing regions with the density of 500-1000 person/km2 are still the main density distribution characteristics of the province's population. With the rapid increase of population, many people are migrating out from complex terrain. With rapid urbanization, major cities in the province have attracted a large number of immigrants. Excluding the natural population growth factors, the relative growth rate of population is inversely proportional to elevation and slope, there are a lot of people above 6°slope migrating out.