China City GDP Rankings 2024: Top 25 Cities by Economic Output

Published: April 20, 2025 | Data: 2024 City GDP | Source: Municipal Statistical Communiqués

China's economic growth has produced some of the world's largest urban economies. This article ranks the top 25 Chinese prefecture-level cities by total GDP in 2024, analyzing the concentration of economic output across cities and provinces.

The rankings include directly-administered municipalities (Shanghai, Beijing, Chongqing, Tianjin), provincial capitals, and other major prefecture-level cities. GDP figures are in Chinese yuan (亿元 / 100 million yuan).

Complete Rankings Table

City GDP Tier Classification

• Mega (>20,000 亿): Shanghai, Beijing, Shenzhen, Chongqing, Guangzhou, Suzhou — 6 cities
• Major (12,000–20,000 亿): Chengdu, Hangzhou, Wuhan, Nanjing, Tianjin, Ningbo, Qingdao, Wuxi, Changsha, Zhengzhou — 10 cities
• Significant (10,000–12,000 亿): Fuzhou, Jinan, Foshan, Quanzhou, Hefei, Xi'an, Nantong, Dongguan — 8 cities
• Growing (<10,000 亿): Dalian, Kunming — 2 cities

Key Findings

• Shanghai's GDP (47,218 亿) is nearly 6 times that of Kunming (7,864 亿), highlighting the massive disparity between China's top and mid-tier cities.
• Jiangsu Province alone contributes 4 cities to the top 25, more than any other province.
• The 6 "2-trillion yuan club" cities collectively account for approximately 20% of China's total GDP.
• Non-capital cities like Suzhou, Wuxi, Foshan, Dongguan, and Quanzhou demonstrate that economic strength is not limited to provincial capitals in China.
• Three cities — Hangzhou, Wuhan, and Chengdu — crossed the 2 trillion yuan threshold around 2023-2024, representing the fastest-growing tier.

Provincial Distribution

• Guangdong: 4 city/cities, combined 88,951 亿元
• Jiangsu: 4 city/cities, combined 69,343 亿元
• Zhejiang: 2 city/cities, combined 36,511 亿元
• Shandong: 2 city/cities, combined 28,517 亿元
• Fujian: 2 city/cities, combined 25,032 亿元
• Shanghai: 1 city/cities, combined 47,218 亿元
• Beijing: 1 city/cities, combined 43,760 亿元
• Chongqing: 1 city/cities, combined 31,879 亿元
• Sichuan: 1 city/cities, combined 22,074 亿元
• Hubei: 1 city/cities, combined 20,011 亿元
• Tianjin: 1 city/cities, combined 16,737 亿元
• Hunan: 1 city/cities, combined 14,331 亿元
• Henan: 1 city/cities, combined 13,613 亿元
• Anhui: 1 city/cities, combined 12,013 亿元
• Shaanxi: 1 city/cities, combined 12,010 亿元
• Liaoning: 1 city/cities, combined 8,752 亿元
• Yunnan: 1 city/cities, combined 7,864 亿元

The Mega-City Tier (GDP Over 2 Trillion Yuan)

Six Chinese cities have surpassed the 2 trillion yuan GDP milestone, forming China's economic elite. These cities serve as national economic engines and host headquarters of major corporations, financial institutions, and technology companies.

Shanghai (47,218 亿元) and Beijing (43,760 亿元) stand far above the rest as China's twin economic superstars. Shanghai's GDP is boosted by its role as China's financial center, largest port, and commercial hub, while Beijing's economy is driven by government institutions, state-owned enterprise headquarters, and the technology sector concentrated in Zhongguancun.

Shenzhen (34,606 亿元) has emerged as China's technology capital, home to Huawei, Tencent, BYD, and DJI. Its GDP growth rate has consistently outpaced Shanghai and Beijing, narrowing the gap in recent years.

Chongqing (31,879 亿元) is unique among the top tier as a province-level municipality with a vast rural hinterland. Its GDP benefits from its enormous land area and population of 32 million, but per-capita GDP is lower than the other mega-cities.

Guangzhou (30,355 亿元), the capital of Guangdong Province, is a major trade, manufacturing, and commercial center. It has faced increasing competition from Shenzhen within its own province but remains one of China's most economically important cities.

Suzhou (24,653 亿元) deserves special mention as the only non-provincial-capital city in the mega tier. Its GDP exceeds that of most provincial capitals, driven by manufacturing, particularly in electronics, automotive, and biotechnology industries in the Suzhou Industrial Park and Kunshan.

Provincial Distribution Analysis

The geographic concentration of China's top cities is striking:

• Jiangsu Province contributes the most cities to the top 25 with Suzhou, Nanjing, Wuxi, and Nantong — four cities with a combined GDP exceeding 69,343 亿元.
• Guangdong Province places three cities: Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Foshan, and Dongguan — four cities forming the Pearl River Delta economic powerhouse.
• Zhejiang Province has Hangzhou and Ningbo, both major coastal economic centers.
• Shandong Province contributes Qingdao and Jinan.
• Fujian Province places Fuzhou and Quanzhou, driven by the province's strong private-sector economy.

This concentration illustrates the "coastal advantage" in China's economic geography, with the Yangtze River Delta, Pearl River Delta, and Bohai Rim hosting the vast majority of top-performing cities.

Emerging Cities to Watch

Cities like Hefei, Xi'an, and Changsha have shown impressive growth in recent years. Hefei has transformed from a mid-tier city into a technology hub through strategic investments in semiconductor, electric vehicle (BYD's largest factory), and display panel industries. Xi'an benefits from China's western development strategy and its strong aerospace and technology sectors. Changsha has built competitive advantages in construction machinery (Sany, Zoomlion) and cultural industries.

Related Articles

• China Provincial GDP Rankings 2024
• China Province GDP Per Capita Rankings 2025
• China Province Population Density Rankings 2025