The largest city in China is Shanghai, with roughly 28.5 million residents in its urban area, followed by Beijing (about 21.5 million) and Chongqing (about 16.9 million). Together with Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Chengdu, Tianjin, Wuhan, Hangzhou and Nanjing, these ten metropolises anchor a nation of around 1.4 billion people and rank among the most populous urban centres on Earth.
The Top 10 Largest Cities Ranked
Population figures for Chinese cities can be reported in different ways — by city proper, by urban built-up area, or by the full administrative municipality, which often includes vast rural districts. Using urban-area populations, the ten largest cities in China are:
- Shanghai — approximately 28.5 million
- Beijing — approximately 21.5 million
- Chongqing — approximately 16.9 million
- Guangzhou — approximately 15.3 million
- Shenzhen — approximately 13.4 million
- Chengdu — approximately 12.1 million
- Tianjin — approximately 11.6 million
- Wuhan — approximately 11.1 million
- Hangzhou — approximately 10.2 million
- Nanjing — approximately 9.4 million
Shanghai, Beijing and the Megacity Giants
Shanghai sits at the mouth of the Yangtze River and is China's financial powerhouse, home to the world's busiest container port and the soaring towers of the Pudong skyline. Beijing, the national capital, blends imperial heritage — the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven and the nearby Great Wall — with the machinery of central government and a booming tech sector in districts like Zhongguancun.
Chongqing is a striking case: as a directly administered municipality it governs more than 30 million people across a region the size of Austria, though its dense riverside core holds roughly 17 million. Famous for its mountainous terrain, spicy hotpot and stacked multi-level roads, it is sometimes called China's "mountain city."
The Pearl River Delta and the South
Guangzhou and Shenzhen sit just kilometres apart in the Pearl River Delta, one of the most concentrated urban regions in the world. Guangzhou is an ancient trading port — the historic terminus of the Maritime Silk Road — and hosts the famous Canton Fair. Shenzhen tells a more modern story: a fishing town of around 30,000 people in 1980, it was designated China's first Special Economic Zone and exploded into a technology hub, home to giants such as Huawei and Tencent. Its growth is among the fastest of any city in human history.
Inland Hubs and Historic Capitals
Several giants lie far from the coast. Chengdu, capital of Sichuan, is known for giant pandas, relaxed teahouse culture and a fast-growing aerospace and software economy. Wuhan, where the Yangtze and Han rivers meet, is a major rail and education centre in central China. Tianjin serves as Beijing's principal seaport on the Bohai Gulf.
In the east, Hangzhou — celebrated for its scenic West Lake and as headquarters of Alibaba — and Nanjing, a former imperial capital with deep historical significance, round out the top ten. Both cities have served as economic and cultural centres for over a thousand years.
Why China Has So Many Megacities
China's urban scale reflects decades of rapid migration from countryside to city. Since the reforms of the late 1970s, hundreds of millions of people have moved into urban areas, and today more than 60% of the population is urban — up from under 20% in 1980. The country now has dozens of cities exceeding one million residents and several "city clusters," such as the Yangtze River Delta and the Greater Bay Area, that function as integrated economic super-regions. If you enjoy testing your knowledge of world cities and capitals, try our interactive geography games.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the largest city in China?
Shanghai is the largest, with an urban population of roughly 28.5 million people. It is also one of the most populous cities in the entire world.
Is Beijing or Shanghai bigger?
Shanghai is larger by population, at around 28.5 million compared with Beijing's roughly 21.5 million. Beijing, however, is the political capital of China, while Shanghai is its financial and commercial centre.
Why is Chongqing sometimes called the world's largest city?
Chongqing's municipality covers an enormous administrative area including rural counties, giving it a total registered population above 30 million. Its actual dense urban core, however, holds closer to 17 million, which is why rankings differ depending on the method used.
How many big cities does China have?
China has over 100 cities with more than one million residents and more than a dozen with populations above 10 million, making it home to more megacities than any other country.
