By 2035, nearly ** million people are predicted to call Guangzhou home. As one of the key cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, Guangzhou’s vibrancy is very attractive to people searching for their opportunities there.

Megacity – Guangzhou

As China’s cities become increasingly urbanized, the demographic of this megacity has also changed considerably over the years, with more and more Chinese locals and foreigners opting to dwell in Guangzhou for work and cultural opportunities. Together with Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen, Guangzhou is listed as one of China’s first-tier cities, indicating its great economic power and developing potential. Guangzhou has been a large port of China for over *** thousand years and has contributed significantly to the economic and cultural exchange between China and the world. Today, the Guangzhou Port is one of the largest in the world.

Multicultural hub

The traces of immigrants from different times to this city can be easily found in Guangzhou’s architecture. In the former colonial area, there are still plenty of old western style buildings. Today’s Guangzhou is one of the Chinese cities with the highest density of skyscrapers in some business areas. The Canton Tower, landmark of Guangzhou, is *** meters tall and the second tallest tower in the world after Tokyo Skytree. In this capital city of the Guangdong province, Cantonese culture is highly respected and well developed. Guangzhou is also one of the Chinese cities with the largest foreign population. Cantonese, Mandarin and English are the widely used languages of the residents in Guangzhou.

Population: Census: Guangdong: Guangzhou data was reported at 18,676.605 Person th in 12-01-2020. This records an increase from the previous number of 12,701.900 Person th for 12-01-2010. Population: Census: Guangdong: Guangzhou data is updated decadal, averaging 12,701.900 Person th from Dec 2000 (Median) to 12-01-2020, with 3 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 18,676.605 Person th in 12-01-2020 and a record low of 9,942.022 Person th in 12-01-2000. Population: Census: Guangdong: Guangzhou data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Guangzhou Municipal Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s Socio-Demographic – Table CN.GE: Population: Prefecture Level City: By Census.

This statistic illustrates the population of the Guangdong - Hong Kong - Macao Greater Bay Area cities in 2024. That year, the population of Guangzhou amounted to approximately ***** million people, making it the largest city by population in the region.

Historical dataset of population level and growth rate for the Guangzhou, Guangdong, China metro area from 1950 to 2025.

Population: Household Registration: Birth Rate: Guangdong: Guangzhou data was reported at 11.070 ‰ in 2023. This records an increase from the previous number of 10.720 ‰ for 2022. Population: Household Registration: Birth Rate: Guangdong: Guangzhou data is updated yearly, averaging 10.905 ‰ from Dec 2000 (Median) to 2023, with 24 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 22.730 ‰ in 2017 and a record low of 7.920 ‰ in 2003. Population: Household Registration: Birth Rate: Guangdong: Guangzhou data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Guangzhou Municipal Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s Socio-Demographic – Table CN.GE: Population: Prefecture Level City: Household Registration: Natural Growth Rate.

As of 2023, around **** percent of the total population of Guangdong province in China were 65 years old or older. Guangdong is the most populous province in China, and its population density is higher than in many countries in the world.

Population: Guangdong: Guangzhou: Household Registration data was reported at 10,566.070 Person th in 2023. This records an increase from the previous number of 10,349.074 Person th for 2022. Population: Guangdong: Guangzhou: Household Registration data is updated yearly, averaging 7,066.438 Person th from Dec 1978 (Median) to 2023, with 46 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 10,566.070 Person th in 2023 and a record low of 4,828.961 Person th in 1978. Population: Guangdong: Guangzhou: Household Registration data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Guangzhou Municipal Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s Socio-Demographic – Table CN.GE: Population: Prefecture Level City.

As of 2025, Guangzhou had the largest metropolitan population in the Asia-Pacific region, with approximately **** million inhabitants. Tokyo had the second-largest metropolitan population of around **** million inhabitants. There were a total of ** megacities with a population of over 10 million inhabitants in the Asia-Pacific region as of 2025.

Population: Household Registration: Urbanization Rate: Guangdong: Guangzhou data was reported at 81.860 % in 2023. This records an increase from the previous number of 81.160 % for 2022. Population: Household Registration: Urbanization Rate: Guangdong: Guangzhou data is updated yearly, averaging 79.900 % from Dec 2015 (Median) to 2023, with 9 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 81.860 % in 2023 and a record low of 79.690 % in 2017. Population: Household Registration: Urbanization Rate: Guangdong: Guangzhou data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Guangzhou Municipal Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s Socio-Demographic – Table CN.GE: Population: Prefecture Level City: Urbanization Rate.

Guangzhou is a city with a population of 15,273,343 and lies in the 5000 and above (Very High) density category. The city has an area of 2378.88 km² with a total green space of 34% and a tree coverage of 25%. The city lies in the Torrid Zone of the world. The city has improved its Urban green space per capita when compared to Global Average and also improved its Urban green space per capita when compared to previous year. Within Central East Asia, 38.9% of cities are ranked lower than Guangzhou.

Population: Usual Residence: Urbanization Rate: Guangdong: Guangzhou data was reported at 86.760 % in 2023. This records an increase from the previous number of 86.480 % for 2022. Population: Usual Residence: Urbanization Rate: Guangdong: Guangzhou data is updated yearly, averaging 84.380 % from Dec 2010 (Median) to 2023, with 14 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 86.760 % in 2023 and a record low of 83.790 % in 2010. Population: Usual Residence: Urbanization Rate: Guangdong: Guangzhou data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Guangzhou Municipal Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s Socio-Demographic – Table CN.GE: Population: Prefecture Level City: Urbanization Rate.

1 Continuous variables were shown as the means±standard deviation. Categorical variables were shown as numbers (percents). Variables were evaluated in conditional logistic model.2 Variables were scored as yes or no, and numbers (percents) of yes responses were listed. House decoration refers to replacement of floor board, wall, and indoor painting for almost a whole flat or house; new furniture refers to a set of new furniture for living room(s) and bed room(s). 3 Occupation was categorized into 3 levels on the basis of the intensity of occupational physical activity.4 Smoking status was defined as current smoker, ex-smoker or nonsmoker (a smoker was defined as someone smoking at least one cigarette per day for at least six months).5 Passive smoking was designated as exposure to other peoples' tobacco smoke for at least 5 minutes daily in the previous five years.6 Physical activity was defined as occupational, leisure time and household chores activity, and evaluated by metabolic equivalent hours per day (MET∙ h/d).Abbreviations: BMI: body mass index; NPC: Nasopharyngeal carcinoma; MET: metabolic equivalent1 .

Population: Guangdong: Guangzhou: Zengcheng data was reported at 860.000 Person th in 2014. This records an increase from the previous number of 850.000 Person th for 2013. Population: Guangdong: Guangzhou: Zengcheng data is updated yearly, averaging 850.000 Person th from Dec 2004 (Median) to 2014, with 11 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 900.000 Person th in 2009 and a record low of 790.000 Person th in 2005. Population: Guangdong: Guangzhou: Zengcheng 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.GJ: Population: County Level Region.

By the end of 2023, around ***** million people were employed in Guangdong's capital Guangzhou. As a part of China's Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area, Guangzhou has attracted various Chinese and foreigners to work in the city.

Population: Non Agricultural: Guangdong: Guangzhou data was reported at 7,662.869 Person th in 2014. This records an increase from the previous number of 7,530.842 Person th for 2013. Population: Non Agricultural: Guangdong: Guangzhou data is updated yearly, averaging 6,681.980 Person th from Dec 1996 (Median) to 2014, with 19 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 7,662.869 Person th in 2014 and a record low of 4,032.700 Person th in 1996. Population: Non Agricultural: Guangdong: Guangzhou data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Guangzhou Municipal Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s Socio-Demographic – Table CN.GE: Population: Prefecture Level City: Non Agricultural. The agricultural population and nonagricultural population were cataloged by residence registration before 2003. From 2003 to 2014 the statistical coverage of nonagricultural population has been adjusted in accordance with The Notice about Some Items on Changing the Annual Reporting Tables of Population Statistics Transmitted from the Ministry of Public Security stipulated by Guangdong Provincial Bureau of Public Security. The permanent population living in the region of sub-district offices under the jurisdiction of districts, neighborhood committees under the jurisdiction of towns and village committees where town governments seat are cataloged to non-agricultural population. 农业与非农业人口统计，2003年以前按户口性质分类。2003-2014年，非农业人口的统计口径根据省公安厅《转发公安部办公厅关于修改人口统计年报表等有关问题的通知》（广公（办）字[2003]146号）调整为：设区市的区和不设区市的市区所辖街道办事处区域内的常住人口和市辖镇、县辖镇所辖居民委员会或镇政府驻地村委会区域内的常住人口按非农业人口统计。

The Gross Domestic Product is used as the estimator, see text. The corresponding values are plotted in Fig 6a. It is clear that the true population size of large coastal cities is not well described by the Hukou system count, but better captured by the estimates resulting from the residuals of the scaling relations for GDP.

In 2024, the population of Guangdong province in China amounted to around ***** million inhabitants, ranking first among all the provinces in China. The population density in Guangdong is also higher than in many countries in the world.

Population: Guangdong: Guangzhou: Usual Residence data was reported at 18,827.000 Person th in 2023. This records an increase from the previous number of 18,734.100 Person th for 2022. Population: Guangdong: Guangzhou: Usual Residence data is updated yearly, averaging 12,795.150 Person th from Dec 2000 (Median) to 2023, with 24 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 18,827.000 Person th in 2023 and a record low of 9,496.800 Person th in 2005. Population: Guangdong: Guangzhou: Usual Residence data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Guangzhou Municipal Bureau of Statistics. The data is categorized under China Premium Database’s Socio-Demographic – Table CN.GBA: Population: GBA.

Excel S1 A Scoring System for Nonspecific LBP among the general Population in Guangzhou. (XLSX 25 kb)

Continuous variables were described by means ±SD and evaluated by t-test.aMean intakes of food groups were adjusted for daily energy intake using the residual method. The mean of daily energy intake was 1355 kcal (male) or 1278 kcal (female).