In 2021, around **** million people were estimated to be living in the urban area of Shanghai. Shanghai was the largest city in China in 2021, followed by Beijing, with around **** million inhabitants. The rise of the new first-tier cities The past decades have seen widespread and rapid urbanization and demographic transition in China. While the four first-tier megacities, namely Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen, are still highly attractive to people and companies due to their strong ability to synergize the competitive economic and social resources, some lower-tier cities are already facing declining populations, especially those in the northeastern region. Below the original four first-tier cities, 15 quickly developing cities are sharing the cake of the moving population with improving business vitality and GDP growth potential. These new first-tier cities are either municipalities directly under the central government, such as Chongqing and Tianjin, or regional central cities and provincial capitals, like Chengdu and Wuhan, or open coastal cities in the economically developed eastern regions. From urbanization to metropolitanization As more and more Chinese people migrate to large cities for better opportunities and quality of life, the ongoing urbanization has further evolved into metropolitanization. Among those metropolitans, Shenzhen's population exceeded **** million in 2020, a nearly ** percent increase from a decade ago, compared to eight percent in the already densely populated Shanghai. However, with people rushing into the big-four cities, the cost of housing, and other living standards, are soaring. As of 2020, the average sales price for residential real estate in Shenzhen exceeded ****** yuan per square meter. As a result, the fast-growing and more cost-effective new first-tier cities would be more appealing in the coming years. Furthermore, Shanghai and Beijing have set plans to control the size of their population to ** and ** million, respectively, before 2035.

China Population: City: Age 30 to 34 data was reported at 53.290 Person th in 2023. This records a decrease from the previous number of 55.445 Person th for 2022. China Population: City: Age 30 to 34 data is updated yearly, averaging 35.119 Person th from Dec 1982 (Median) to 2023, with 35 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 60,075.584 Person th in 2020 and a record low of 13.751 Person th in 1994. China Population: City: Age 30 to 34 data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by National Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s Socio-Demographic – Table CN.GA: Population: Sample Survey: By Age and Sex: City.

China is a vast and diverse country and population density in different regions varies greatly. In 2024, the estimated population density of the administrative area of Shanghai municipality reached about 3,911 inhabitants per square kilometer, whereas statistically only around three people were living on one square kilometer in Tibet. Population distribution in China China's population is unevenly distributed across the country: while most people are living in the southeastern half of the country, the northwestern half – which includes the provinces and autonomous regions of Tibet, Xinjiang, Qinghai, Gansu, and Inner Mongolia – is only sparsely populated. Even the inhabitants of a single province might be unequally distributed within its borders. This is significantly influenced by the geography of each region, and is especially the case in the Guangdong, Fujian, or Sichuan provinces due to their mountain ranges. The Chinese provinces with the largest absolute population size are Guangdong in the south, Shandong in the east and Henan in Central China. Urbanization and city population Urbanization is one of the main factors which have been reshaping China over the last four decades. However, when comparing the size of cities and urban population density, one has to bear in mind that data often refers to the administrative area of cities or urban units, which might be much larger than the contiguous built-up area of that city. The administrative area of Beijing municipality, for example, includes large rural districts, where only around 200 inhabitants are living per square kilometer on average, while roughly 20,000 residents per square kilometer are living in the two central city districts. This is the main reason for the huge difference in population density between the four Chinese municipalities Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, and Chongqing shown in many population statistics.

Actual value and historical data chart for China Population In The Largest City Percent Of Urban Population

In 2024, about 943.5 million people lived in urban regions in China and 464.8 million in rural. That year, the country had a total population of approximately 1.41 billion people. As of 2024, China was the second most populous country in the world. Urbanization in China Urbanization refers to the process by which people move from rural to urban areas and how a society adapts to the population shift. It is usually seen as a driving force in economic growth, accompanied by industrialization, modernization and the spread of education. Urbanization levels tend to be higher in industrial countries, whereas the degree of urbanization in developing countries remains relatively low. According to World Bank, a mere 19.4 percent of the Chinese population had been living in urban areas in 1980. Since then, China’s urban population has skyrocketed. By 2024, about 67 percent of the Chinese population lived in urban areas. Regional urbanization rates In the last decades, urbanization has progressed greatly in every region of China. Even in most of the more remote Chinese provinces, the urbanization rate surpassed 50 percent in recent years. However, the most urbanized areas are still to be found in the coastal eastern and southern regions of China. The population of Shanghai, the largest city in China and the world’s seventh largest city ranged at around 24 million people in 2023. China’s urban areas are characterized by a developing middle class. Per capita disposable income of Chinese urban households has more than doubled between 2010 and 2020. The emerging middle class is expected to become a significant driver for the continuing growth of the Chinese economy.

About this dataset

Context

This list ranks the 19,348 cities in the United States by Chinese population, as estimated by the United States Census Bureau. It also highlights population changes in each city over the past five years.

Content

When available, the data consists of estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates, including:

• 2019-2023 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates
• 2014-2018 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates
• 2009-2013 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

Variables / Data Columns

• Rank by Chinese Population: This column displays the rank of city in the United States by their Chinese population, using the most recent ACS data available.
• City: The City for which the rank is shown in the previous column.
• Chinese Population: The Chinese population of the city is shown in this column.
• % of Total City Population: This shows what percentage of the total city population identifies as Chinese. Please note that the sum of all percentages may not equal one due to rounding of values.
• % of Total United States Chinese Population: This tells us how much of the entire United States Chinese population lives in that city. Please note that the sum of all percentages may not equal one due to rounding of values.
• 5 Year Rank Trend: This column displays the rank trend across the last 5 years.

Good to know

Margin of Error

Data in the dataset are based on the estimates and are subject to sampling variability and thus a margin of error. Neilsberg Research recommends using caution when presening these estimates in your research.

Custom data

If you do need custom data for any of your research project, report or presentation, you can contact our research staff at research@neilsberg.com for a feasibility of a custom tabulation on a fee-for-service basis.

Inspiration

Neilsberg Research Team curates, analyze and publishes demographics and economic data from a variety of public and proprietary sources, each of which often includes multiple surveys and programs. The large majority of Neilsberg Research aggregated datasets and insights is made available for free download at https://www.neilsberg.com/research/.

China Population: Education Level: City: Primary: Female data was reported at 51.402 Person th in 2023. This records an increase from the previous number of 50.810 Person th for 2022. China Population: Education Level: City: Primary: Female data is updated yearly, averaging 31.382 Person th from Dec 1997 (Median) to 2023, with 27 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 49,064.541 Person th in 2020 and a record low of 25.979 Person th in 2008. China Population: Education Level: City: Primary: Female data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by National Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s Socio-Demographic – Table CN.GA: Population: Sample Survey: Level of Education.

About this dataset

Context

This list ranks the 14 cities in the Alameda County, CA by Chinese population, as estimated by the United States Census Bureau. It also highlights population changes in each city over the past five years.

Content

When available, the data consists of estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates, including:

• 2019-2023 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates
• 2014-2018 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates
• 2009-2013 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

Variables / Data Columns

• Rank by Chinese Population: This column displays the rank of city in the Alameda County, CA by their Chinese population, using the most recent ACS data available.
• City: The City for which the rank is shown in the previous column.
• Chinese Population: The Chinese population of the city is shown in this column.
• % of Total City Population: This shows what percentage of the total city population identifies as Chinese. Please note that the sum of all percentages may not equal one due to rounding of values.
• % of Total Alameda County Chinese Population: This tells us how much of the entire Alameda County, CA Chinese population lives in that city. Please note that the sum of all percentages may not equal one due to rounding of values.
• 5 Year Rank Trend: This column displays the rank trend across the last 5 years.

Good to know

Margin of Error

Data in the dataset are based on the estimates and are subject to sampling variability and thus a margin of error. Neilsberg Research recommends using caution when presening these estimates in your research.

Custom data

If you do need custom data for any of your research project, report or presentation, you can contact our research staff at research@neilsberg.com for a feasibility of a custom tabulation on a fee-for-service basis.

Inspiration

Neilsberg Research Team curates, analyze and publishes demographics and economic data from a variety of public and proprietary sources, each of which often includes multiple surveys and programs. The large majority of Neilsberg Research aggregated datasets and insights is made available for free download at https://www.neilsberg.com/research/.

About this dataset

Context

This list ranks the 18 cities in the San Diego County, CA by Chinese population, as estimated by the United States Census Bureau. It also highlights population changes in each city over the past five years.

Content

When available, the data consists of estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates, including:

• 2019-2023 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates
• 2014-2018 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates
• 2009-2013 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

Variables / Data Columns

• Rank by Chinese Population: This column displays the rank of city in the San Diego County, CA by their Chinese population, using the most recent ACS data available.
• City: The City for which the rank is shown in the previous column.
• Chinese Population: The Chinese population of the city is shown in this column.
• % of Total City Population: This shows what percentage of the total city population identifies as Chinese. Please note that the sum of all percentages may not equal one due to rounding of values.
• % of Total San Diego County Chinese Population: This tells us how much of the entire San Diego County, CA Chinese population lives in that city. Please note that the sum of all percentages may not equal one due to rounding of values.
• 5 Year Rank Trend: This column displays the rank trend across the last 5 years.

Good to know

Margin of Error

Data in the dataset are based on the estimates and are subject to sampling variability and thus a margin of error. Neilsberg Research recommends using caution when presening these estimates in your research.

Custom data

If you do need custom data for any of your research project, report or presentation, you can contact our research staff at research@neilsberg.com for a feasibility of a custom tabulation on a fee-for-service basis.

Inspiration

Neilsberg Research Team curates, analyze and publishes demographics and economic data from a variety of public and proprietary sources, each of which often includes multiple surveys and programs. The large majority of Neilsberg Research aggregated datasets and insights is made available for free download at https://www.neilsberg.com/research/.

China Population: Prefecture Level City data was reported at 1,291,941.900 Person th in 2015. This records an increase from the previous number of 1,289,538.000 Person th for 2014. China Population: Prefecture Level City data is updated yearly, averaging 1,194,579.100 Person th from Dec 1996 (Median) to 2015, with 20 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 1,291,941.900 Person th in 2015 and a record low of 897,719.200 Person th in 1997. China Population: Prefecture Level City data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by National Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s Socio-Demographic – Table CN.GE: Population: Prefecture Level City.

About this dataset

Context

This list ranks the 964 cities in the Texas by Chinese population, as estimated by the United States Census Bureau. It also highlights population changes in each city over the past five years.

Content

When available, the data consists of estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates, including:

• 2019-2023 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates
• 2014-2018 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates
• 2009-2013 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

Variables / Data Columns

• Rank by Chinese Population: This column displays the rank of city in the Texas by their Chinese population, using the most recent ACS data available.
• City: The City for which the rank is shown in the previous column.
• Chinese Population: The Chinese population of the city is shown in this column.
• % of Total City Population: This shows what percentage of the total city population identifies as Chinese. Please note that the sum of all percentages may not equal one due to rounding of values.
• % of Total Texas Chinese Population: This tells us how much of the entire Texas Chinese population lives in that city. Please note that the sum of all percentages may not equal one due to rounding of values.
• 5 Year Rank Trend: This column displays the rank trend across the last 5 years.

Good to know

Margin of Error

Data in the dataset are based on the estimates and are subject to sampling variability and thus a margin of error. Neilsberg Research recommends using caution when presening these estimates in your research.

Custom data

If you do need custom data for any of your research project, report or presentation, you can contact our research staff at research@neilsberg.com for a feasibility of a custom tabulation on a fee-for-service basis.

Inspiration

Neilsberg Research Team curates, analyze and publishes demographics and economic data from a variety of public and proprietary sources, each of which often includes multiple surveys and programs. The large majority of Neilsberg Research aggregated datasets and insights is made available for free download at https://www.neilsberg.com/research/.

About this dataset

Context

This list ranks the 365 cities in the Florida by Chinese population, as estimated by the United States Census Bureau. It also highlights population changes in each city over the past five years.

Content

When available, the data consists of estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates, including:

• 2019-2023 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates
• 2014-2018 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates
• 2009-2013 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

Variables / Data Columns

• Rank by Chinese Population: This column displays the rank of city in the Florida by their Chinese population, using the most recent ACS data available.
• City: The City for which the rank is shown in the previous column.
• Chinese Population: The Chinese population of the city is shown in this column.
• % of Total City Population: This shows what percentage of the total city population identifies as Chinese. Please note that the sum of all percentages may not equal one due to rounding of values.
• % of Total Florida Chinese Population: This tells us how much of the entire Florida Chinese population lives in that city. Please note that the sum of all percentages may not equal one due to rounding of values.
• 5 Year Rank Trend: This column displays the rank trend across the last 5 years.

Good to know

Margin of Error

Data in the dataset are based on the estimates and are subject to sampling variability and thus a margin of error. Neilsberg Research recommends using caution when presening these estimates in your research.

Custom data

If you do need custom data for any of your research project, report or presentation, you can contact our research staff at research@neilsberg.com for a feasibility of a custom tabulation on a fee-for-service basis.

Inspiration

Neilsberg Research Team curates, analyze and publishes demographics and economic data from a variety of public and proprietary sources, each of which often includes multiple surveys and programs. The large majority of Neilsberg Research aggregated datasets and insights is made available for free download at https://www.neilsberg.com/research/.

About this dataset

Context

This list ranks the 34 cities in the Orange County, CA by Chinese population, as estimated by the United States Census Bureau. It also highlights population changes in each city over the past five years.

Content

When available, the data consists of estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates, including:

• 2019-2023 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates
• 2014-2018 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates
• 2009-2013 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates

Variables / Data Columns

• Rank by Chinese Population: This column displays the rank of city in the Orange County, CA by their Chinese population, using the most recent ACS data available.
• City: The City for which the rank is shown in the previous column.
• Chinese Population: The Chinese population of the city is shown in this column.
• % of Total City Population: This shows what percentage of the total city population identifies as Chinese. Please note that the sum of all percentages may not equal one due to rounding of values.
• % of Total Orange County Chinese Population: This tells us how much of the entire Orange County, CA Chinese population lives in that city. Please note that the sum of all percentages may not equal one due to rounding of values.
• 5 Year Rank Trend: This column displays the rank trend across the last 5 years.

Good to know

Margin of Error

Data in the dataset are based on the estimates and are subject to sampling variability and thus a margin of error. Neilsberg Research recommends using caution when presening these estimates in your research.

Custom data

If you do need custom data for any of your research project, report or presentation, you can contact our research staff at research@neilsberg.com for a feasibility of a custom tabulation on a fee-for-service basis.

Inspiration

Neilsberg Research Team curates, analyze and publishes demographics and economic data from a variety of public and proprietary sources, each of which often includes multiple surveys and programs. The large majority of Neilsberg Research aggregated datasets and insights is made available for free download at https://www.neilsberg.com/research/.

According to official figures, around 24.8 million permanent residents were living in the administrative area of Shanghai municipality in 2024. This was 71,900 people less than in the previous year. Population development in Shanghai During the economic reform and opening-up period, Shanghai’s population more than doubled and reached 24.5 million in 2013. However, the limits of demographic growth in Chinese megacities became increasingly apparent since the beginning of the 21st century. In 2017, the Shanghai municipal government planned to limit Shanghai's population and to keep the population within the 25 million-threshold until 2035. As a result, the total population has remained relatively stable since 2013. Furthermore, inhabitants are unevenly distributed across the city districts, with the central urban areas having population densities of around 20,000 people or more per square kilometer. Current demographic shifts Under the conditions of restricted demographic inflows, the effect of population aging becomes increasingly apparent in Shanghai. The city traditionally had a low birth rate compared to other regions in China. In recent years, the number of deaths exceeded the number of births, a development that most probably started in 2020. This development is also reflected in the share of people aged 65 and over which increased steadily in recent times. If migration barriers are not lowered, population decrease in Shanghai is likely in the future.

China Number of Prefecture Level City: Population over 4 Million data was reported at 22.000 Unit in 2020. This records an increase from the previous number of 20.000 Unit for 2019. China Number of Prefecture Level City: Population over 4 Million data is updated yearly, averaging 14.000 Unit from Dec 2002 (Median) to 2020, with 18 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 22.000 Unit in 2020 and a record low of 10.000 Unit in 2002. China Number of Prefecture Level City: Population over 4 Million data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by National Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s Socio-Demographic – Table CN.GE: No of Prefecture Level City by Population.

Population: City: Age 0 to 14: Beijing data was reported at 2.353 Person th in 2023. This records an increase from the previous number of 2.257 Person th for 2022. Population: City: Age 0 to 14: Beijing data is updated yearly, averaging 1.479 Person th from Dec 1997 (Median) to 2023, with 27 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 2,152.936 Person th in 2020 and a record low of 0.838 Person th in 2003. Population: City: Age 0 to 14: Beijing data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by National Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s Socio-Demographic – Table CN.GA: Population: Sample Survey: By Age and Region: City.

Population: Liaoning: Dalian: Usual Residence data was reported at 7,539.000 Person th in 2023. This records an increase from the previous number of 7,450.785 Person th for 2020. Population: Liaoning: Dalian: Usual Residence data is updated yearly, averaging 6,430.216 Person th from Dec 2004 (Median) to 2023, with 10 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 7,539.000 Person th in 2023 and a record low of 6,015.000 Person th in 2004. Population: Liaoning: Dalian: Usual Residence data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Dalian Municipal Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s Socio-Demographic – Table CN.GE: Population: Prefecture Level City.

Population: Beijing: Usual Residence data was reported at 21,832.000 Person th in 2024. This records a decrease from the previous number of 21,858.000 Person th for 2023. Population: Beijing: Usual Residence data is updated yearly, averaging 13,851.000 Person th from Dec 1978 (Median) to 2024, with 47 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 21,954.000 Person th in 2016 and a record low of 8,715.000 Person th in 1978. Population: Beijing: Usual Residence data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Beijing Municipal Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s Socio-Demographic – Table CN.GE: Population: Prefecture Level City.

China Number of Prefecture Level City: Population 2 - 4 Million data was reported at 46.000 Unit in 2020. This records an increase from the previous number of 44.000 Unit for 2019. China Number of Prefecture Level City: Population 2 - 4 Million data is updated yearly, averaging 31.000 Unit from Dec 2002 (Median) to 2020, with 18 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 46.000 Unit in 2020 and a record low of 22.000 Unit in 2003. China Number of Prefecture Level City: Population 2 - 4 Million data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by National Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s Socio-Demographic – Table CN.GE: No of Prefecture Level City by Population.

China Number of Prefecture Level City: Population 1 - 2 Million data was reported at 96.000 Unit in 2020. This records a decrease from the previous number of 98.000 Unit for 2019. China Number of Prefecture Level City: Population 1 - 2 Million data is updated yearly, averaging 82.000 Unit from Dec 1978 (Median) to 2020, with 17 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 100.000 Unit in 2017 and a record low of 19.000 Unit in 1978. China Number of Prefecture Level City: Population 1 - 2 Million data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by National Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s Socio-Demographic – Table CN.GE: No of Prefecture Level City by Population.