Shanghai: population and official figures
In depth
- Economy, jobs and prices in Shanghai: Shanghai's gross domestic product in 2024 was 5.39 trillion yuan at current prices, the highest of the 36 cities in the yearbook.
- Government budget and revenue in Shanghai: Shanghai's local general public budget revenue was 837.4 billion yuan in 2024, the highest of the 36 cities.
What kind of city is Shanghai?
Shanghai is a municipality directly under the central government. The China Statistical Yearbook 2025 reports its figures for 2024 for the whole city including the counties under it, not only the built-up urban area.
Source: National Bureau of Statistics of China · saved copyWhat is the population of Shanghai?
Shanghai had 24.80 million residents at the end of 2024, the National Bureau of Statistics' year-end population figure for the municipality (2nd largest of the 4 municipalities).
Source: National Bureau of Statistics of China · saved copyHow many hospitals are there in Shanghai?
Shanghai had 492 hospitals at the end of 2024, 4th highest of the 36 cities.
Source: National Bureau of Statistics of China · saved copyHow many doctors are there in Shanghai?
Shanghai had 94,160 practising (assistant) doctors in 2024, 3rd highest of the 36 cities, an average of 191 per hospital.
Source: National Bureau of Statistics of China · saved copyHow many university students are there in Shanghai?
Shanghai had 587,313 students enrolled in regular undergraduate, vocational undergraduate and junior-college courses in 2024, 18th lowest of the 36 cities.
Source: National Bureau of Statistics of China · saved copyHow many doctors per person are there in Shanghai?
Shanghai had 3.80 practising (assistant) doctors per 1,000 residents in 2024 (2nd lowest of the 4 municipalities), using the year-end 2024 population.
Source: National Bureau of Statistics of China · saved copyHow many hospitals per person are there in Shanghai?
Shanghai had 19.8 hospitals per million residents in 2024 (the lowest of the 4 municipalities).
Source: National Bureau of Statistics of China · saved copyHow many university students does Shanghai have for its size?
Shanghai had 23.7 higher-education students (undergraduate, vocational and junior-college) per 1,000 residents in 2024 (the lowest of the 4 municipalities).
Source: National Bureau of Statistics of China · saved copyWho runs Shanghai?
In China, cities and towns are run by provincial level: Governor elected by the provincial people's congress (whose deputies are elected indirectly); Party secretary appointed through the Party system. Provincial administration, economy, budgets; the PRC also counts Taiwan as a province, a claim the authorities in Taipei reject.
How local power works in China
Cities of a similar size in China
Up a level: all cities in China · China · government and power
Sources
- National Bureau of Statistics of China: China Statistical Yearbook 2025, table 8-16: Air quality in major cities (2024, preliminary), read 28 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 2f0d77d6be63…)
- National Bureau of Statistics of China: China Statistical Yearbook 2025, table 25-2: Main indicators of provincial capitals and cities with independent planning authority (2024), read 28 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 dbc74da5294a…)
- National Bureau of Statistics of China: China Statistical Yearbook 2025, table 19-16: Main indicators of real estate in 35 large and medium-sized cities (2024), read 28 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 e93821946bca…)
- National Bureau of Statistics of China: China Statistical Yearbook 2025, table 2-5: Year-end population by region, read 28 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 b6dbfc1ff8a8…)
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