List of cities in China by population

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As of 2022, China is the world’s most populous country. According to Demographia, in 2017 there were 102 Chinese cities with over 1 million people in the “urban area”, as defined by the group’s methodology.[1]

Definition and classification[edit]

According to the administrative divisions of China, there are three levels of cities, namely direct-administered municipalities (直辖市), prefecture-level cities (地级市), and county-level cities (县级市). The Special Administrative Regions (特别行政区) of Hong Kong and Macau are not included in this administrative classification.

Municipalities and prefecture-level cities are not each a ‘city’ in the strictest sense of the term, but instead an administrative unit comprising, typically, both the urban core (a city in the strict sense) and surrounding rural or less-urbanized areas.[2]

Prefecture-level cities nearly always contain multiple counties (县), county-level cities, and other such sub-divisions. To distinguish a prefecture-level city from its actual urban area (city in the strict sense), the term “市区” (shì qū; “urban area”) is used. However, even this term often encompasses large suburban regions often greater than 3,000 square kilometres (1,000 sq mi), sometimes only the urban core whereas the agglomeration overtake the city limits. Thus, the “urban core” would be roughly comparable to the American term “city limit”, the “shì qū”, or “urban area”, would be roughly comparable to “metropolitan area”, and the municipality is a political designation defining regions under control of a municipal government, which has no comparable designation.

List of major cities by population[edit]

Urban population[edit]

Largest cities in mainland China by population of urban area
Rank City Province Latest Estimate[3] 2010 Census[4] Absolute Change % Change
1 Shanghai — 26,875,500 20,217,748 +6,658,652 +30%
2 Beijing⍟# — 21,167,303 16,704,306 +4,462,997 +26.72%
3 Guangzhou#* Guangdong 18,810,600 10,641,408 +8,169,192 +76.77%
4 Shenzhen#~ Guangdong 17,633,800 10,358,381 +7,275,419 +70.24%
5 Chengdu#* Sichuan 15,025,554 7,791,692 +7,233,862 +92.84%
6 Tianjin#† — 13,929,152 9,528,277 +4,400,875 +46.19%
7 Chongqing#* — 12,313,714 6,263,790 +6,049,924 +96.59%
8 Nanjing* Jiangsu 9,320,689 5,827,888 +3,492,801 +59.93%
9 Wuhan#* Hubei 8,546,775 7,541,527 +1,005,248 +13.33%
10 Xi’an#* Shaanxi 8,438,050 5,403,052 +3,034,998 +56.17%
11 Hangzhou* Zhejiang 7,969,372 5,849,537 +2,119,835 +36.24%
12 Shenyang* Liaoning 7,469,474 5,718,232 +1,751,242 +30.63%
13 Dongguan Guangdong 7,489,198 7,271,322 +217,876 +3.00%
14 Foshan Guangdong 7,462,797 6,771,895 +690,902 +10.20%
15 Harbin* Heilongjiang 6,612,795 4,596,313 +2,016,482 +43.87%
16 Dalian~ Liaoning 5,871,474 3,902,467 +1,969,007 +50.46%
17 Qingdao~ Shandong 5,818,255 4,556,077 +1,262,178 +27.70%
18 Zhengzhou#* Henan 5,621,593 3,677,032 +1,944,561 +52.88%
19 Jinan* Shandong 5,606,374 3,641,562 +1,964,812 +53.96%
20 Changsha* Hunan 4,766,296 3,193,354 +1,572,942 +49.26%
21 Kunming* Yunnan 4,422,686 3,385,363 +1,037,323 +30.64%
22 Changchun* Jilin 4,408,154 3,411,209 +996,945 +29.23%
23 Ürümqi* Xinjiang 4,335,017 2,853,398 +1,481,619 +51.92%
24 Shantou† Guangdong 4,312,192 3,644,017 +668,175 +18.34%
25

Suzhou

Jiangsu 4,330,000 3,721,700 +608,300 +16.34%
26 Hefei* Anhui 4,216,940 3,098,727 +1,118,213 +36.09%
27 Shijiazhuang* Hebei 4,098,243 3,095,219 +1,003,024 +32.41%
28 Ningbo~ Zhejiang 4,087,523 2,583,073 +1,504,450 +58.24%
29 Taiyuan* Shanxi 3,875,053 3,154,157 +720,896 +22.86%
30 Nanning* Guangxi 3,837,978 2,660,833 +1,177,145 +44.24%
31 Xiamen† Fujian 3,707,090 3,119,110 +587,980 +18.85%
32 Fuzhou*~ Fujian 3,671,192 3,102,421 +568,771 +18.33%
33 Wenzhou~ Zhejiang 3,604,446 2,686,825 +917,621 +34.15%
34 Changzhou Jiangsu 3,601,079 2,257,376 +1,343,703 +59.52%
35 Nanchang* Jiangxi 3,576,547 2,614,380 +962,167 +36.80%
36 Tangshan Hebei 3,399,231 2,128,191 +1,271,040 +59.72%
37 Guiyang* Guizhou 3,299,724 2,520,061 +779,663 +30.94%
38 Wuxi Jiangsu 3,245,179 2,757,736 +487,443 +17.68%
39 Lanzhou* Gansu 3,067,141 2,438,595 +628,546 +25.77%
40 Zhongshan Guangdong 2,909,633 2,740,994 +168,639 +6.15%
41 Handan Hebei 2,708,015 1,830,000 +878,015 +47.98%
42 Weifang Shandong 2,636,154 2,044,028 +592,126 +28.97%
43 Huai’an Jiangsu 2,632,788 2,494,013 +138,775 +5.56%
44 Zibo Shandong 2,631,647 2,261,717 +369,930 +16.36%
45 Shaoxing Zhejiang 2,521,964 1,725,726 +796,238 +46.14%
46 Yantai~ Shandong 2,511,053 1,797,861 +713,192 +39.67%
47 Huizhou Guangdong 2,509,243 1,807,858 +701,385 +38.80%
48 Luoyang Henan 2,372,571 1,584,463 +788,108 +49.74%
49 Nantong~ Jiangsu 2,261,382 1,612,385 +648,997 +40.25%
50 Baotou Inner Mongolia 2,181,077 1,900,373 +280,704 +14.77%
51 Liuzhou Guangxi 2,153,419 1,624,571 +528,848 +32.55%

Locations of the 50 most populous cities in Mainland China[edit]

Top 51 most populous cities in Mainland China

Cities and towns by population[edit]

China cities and towns by urban population (2020-2021)

  • 1.Shanghai – 24,890,000
  • 2.Beijing – 21,893,095
  • 3.Guangzhou – 18,810,600
  • 4.Chengdu – 16,935,567
  • 5.Chongqing – 16,875,000
  • 6.Shenzhen – 14,678,000
  • 7.Tianjin – 13,866,009
  • 8.Wuhan – 12,326,500
  • 9.Xi’an – 11,904,805
  • 10.Hangzhou – 10,711,238
  • 11.Dongguan – 10,466,625
  • 12.Foshan – 9,498,863
  • 13.Nanjing – 9,314,685
  • 14.Jinan – 8,352,574
  • 15.Shenyang – 7,885,142
  • 16.Qingdao – 7,172,451
  • 17.Harbin – 6,976,136
  • 18.Zhengzhou – 6,650,532
  • 19.Changsha – 5,980,707
  • 20.Kunming – 5,950,578
  • 21.Dalian – 5,736,383
  • 22.Changchun – 5,691,024
  • 23.Xiamen – 5,163,970
  • 24.Ningbo – 5,057,140
  • 25.Taiyuan – 4,529,141
  • 26.Zhongshan – 4,418,060
  • 27.Ürümqi – 4,335,017
  • 28.Suzhou – 4,330,000
  • 29.Shantou – 4,312,192
  • 30.Hefei – 4,216,940
  • 31.Shijiazhuang – 4,098,243
  • 32.Fuzhou – 4,094,491
  • 33.Nanning – 3,839,800
  • 34.Wenzhou – 3,604,446
  • 35.Changzhou – 3,601,079
  • 36.Nanchang – 3,576,547
  • 37.Guiyang – 3,483,100
  • 38.Tangshan – 3,399,231
  • 39.Wuxi – 3,256,000
  • 40.Lanzhou – 3,072,100
  • 41.Handan – 2,845,790
  • 42.Hohhot – 2,681,758
  • 43.Weifang – 2,659,938
  • 44.Jiangmen – 2,657,662
  • 45.Zibo – 2,640,000
  • 46.Huai’an – 2,632,788
  • 47.Xuzhou – 2,623,066
  • 48.Maoming – 2,539,148
  • 49.Shaoxing – 2,521,964
  • 50.Yantai – 2,511,053
  • 51.Huizhou – 2,509,243
  • 52.Zhuhai – 2,439,585
  • 53.Luoyang – 2,372,571
  • 54.Linyi – 2,303,648
  • 55.Nantong – 2,273,326
  • 56.Haikou – 2,250,000
  • 57.Baotou – 2,181,077
  • 58.Liuzhou – 2,153,419
  • 59.Datong – 2,030,203
  • 60.Putian – 2,003,000
  • 61.Lianyungang – 2,001,009
  • 62.Baoding – 1,976,000
  • 63.Xining – 1,954,795
  • 64.Zhanjiang – 1,931,455
  • 65.Wuhu – 1,870,000
  • 66.Chaozhou – 1,750,945
  • 67.Qingyuan – 1,738,424
  • 68.Tai’an – 1,735,425
  • 69.Yichang – 1,698,400
  • 70.Yangzhou – 1,665,000
  • 71.Yinchuan – 1,662,968
  • 72.Xiangyang – 1,658,000
  • 73.Anshan – 1,647,000
  • 74.Jilin City – 1,623,000
  • 75.Yancheng – 1,615,717
  • 76.Taizhou – 1,607,108
  • 77.Qinhuangdao – 1,586,000
  • 78.Ganzhou – 1,585,000
  • 79.Daqing – 1,574,389
  • 80.Guilin – 1,572,300
  • 81.Huzhou – 1,558,826
  • 82.Zhaoqing – 1,553,109
  • 83.Jiaxing – 1,518,654
  • 84.Jining – 1,518,000
  • 85.Jinhua – 1,463,990
  • 86.Changde – 1,457,519
  • 87.Hengyang – 1,453,000
  • 88.Suqian – 1,440,000
  • 89.Baoji – 1,437,802
  • 90.Zhangjiakou – 1,435,000
  • 91.Mianyang – 1,355,331
  • 92.Qiqihar – 1,350,434
  • 93.Heze – 1,346,717
  • 94.Fushun – 1,307,200
  • 95.Yangjiang – 1,292,987
  • 96.Liaocheng – 1,229,768
  • 97.Tianshui – 1,212,791
  • 98.Benxi – 1,176,490
  • 99.Chifeng – 1,175,391
  • 100.Jiujiang – 1,164,268
  • 101.Anyang – 1,146,839
  • 102.Huaibei – 1,142,000
  • 103.Yulin – 1,117,800
  • 104.Xinxiang – 1,047,088
  • 105.Shaoguan – 1,028,460
  • 106.Dongying – 998,968
  • 107.Luzhou – 998,900
  • 108.Meizhou – 992,351
  • 109.Leshan – 987,000
  • 110.Dezhou – 986,192
  • 111.Xingtai – 971,300
  • 112.Chenzhou – 960,000
  • 113.Mudanjiang – 930,105
  • 114.Tongliao – 921,808
  • 115.Chengde – 920,395
  • 116.Laiwu – 907,839
  • 117.Taishan – 907,354
  • 118.Quzhou – 902,767
  • 119.Zhoushan – 882,932
  • 120.Suihua – 877,114
  • 121.Langfang – 868,066
  • 122.Hengshui – 856,705
  • 123.Yingkou – 848,100
  • 124.Panjin – 846,500
  • 125.Weihai – 844,310
  • 126.Anqing – 804,493
  • 127.Liaoyang – 793,700
  • 128.Puyang – 760,300
  • 129.Fuxin – 759,100
  • 130.Jieyang – 741,674
  • 131.Yangquan – 731,228
  • 132.Jiamusi – 726,622
  • 133.Huludao – 724,800
  • 134.Zhumadian – 721,670
  • 135.Kashgar – 711,300
  • 136.Dazhou – 705,321
  • 137.Heyuan – 703,607
  • 138.Longyan – 703,524
  • 139.Aksu City – 695,000
  • 140.Ordos City – 693,038
  • 141.Hegang – 690,000
  • 142.Binzhou – 682,717
  • 143.Siping – 680,600
  • 144.Sanmenxia – 669,307
  • 145.Dandong – 659,400
  • 146.Suining – 658,798
  • 147.Sanya – 644,727
  • 148.Ji’an – 643,399
  • 149.Cangzhou – 621,300
  • 150.Qitaihe – 620,935
  • 151.Yichun – 598,000
  • 152.Tonghua – 584,209
  • 153.Jixi – 580,000
  • 154.Korla – 549,324
  • 155.Chaoyang – 537,800
  • 156.Dingxi – 525,044
  • 157.Shuangyashan – 507,257
  • 158.Songyuan – 495,900
  • 159.Nanping – 491,287
  • 160.Liaoyuan – 475,400
  • 161.Lhasa – 464,736
  • 162.Karamay – 462,347
  • 163.Shanwei – 437,000
  • 164.Tieling – 434,799
  • 165.Suihua – 428,795
  • 166.Ulanqab – 425,059
  • 167.Hami – 412,305
  • 168.Huangshan City – 410,973
  • 169.Hotan – 408,894
  • 170.Wuwei – 408,000
  • 171.Baishan – 402,600
  • 172.Sanming – 379,701
  • 173.Yunfu – 369,321
  • 174.Hailar – 365,012
  • 175.Zhaotong – 352,831
  • 176.Ningde – 343,262
  • 177.Baicheng – 332,826
  • 178.Hunchun – 271,000
  • 179.Zhangjiajie – 225,700
  • 180.Golmud – 205,700
  • 181.Yumen City – 168,300
  • 182.Altay City – 114,995

See also[edit]

References[edit]

External links[edit]