Regions of China: population and official figures
China is divided into 31 regions. The largest by population is Guangdong with 127,800,000 people (9.1% of the total); the smallest is Xizang (Tibet) with 3,700,000. Figures are from the China Statistical Yearbook 2025 of the National Bureau of Statistics (data for 2024). Budget figures are local government figures and exclude central government revenue and spending.
Who governs China's regions?
Provincial level (22 provinces, 5 autonomous regions, 4 centrally administered municipalities, 2 special administrative regions: Hong Kong and Macao): 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 · Level 5: devolved and state governments worldwide
All 31 regions, largest first
| # | Region | Population | Year | Growth (1 yr) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Guangdong | 127,800,000 | 2024 | +0.6% |
| 2 | Shandong | 100,800,000 | 2024 | -0.4% |
| 3 | Henan | 97,850,000 | 2024 | -0.3% |
| 4 | Jiangsu | 85,260,000 | 2024 | +0.0% |
| 5 | Sichuan | 83,640,000 | 2024 | -0.1% |
| 6 | Hebei | 73,780,000 | 2024 | -0.2% |
| 7 | Zhejiang | 66,700,000 | 2024 | +0.7% |
| 8 | Hunan | 65,390,000 | 2024 | -0.4% |
| 9 | Anhui | 61,230,000 | 2024 | +0.0% |
| 10 | Hubei | 58,340,000 | 2024 | -0.1% |
| 11 | Guangxi | 50,130,000 | 2024 | -0.3% |
| 12 | Yunnan | 46,550,000 | 2024 | -0.4% |
| 13 | Jiangxi | 45,020,000 | 2024 | -0.3% |
| 14 | Fujian | 41,930,000 | 2024 | +0.2% |
| 15 | Liaoning | 41,550,000 | 2024 | -0.7% |
| 16 | Shaanxi | 39,530,000 | 2024 | +0.0% |
| 17 | Guizhou | 38,600,000 | 2024 | -0.1% |
| 18 | Shanxi | 34,460,000 | 2024 | -0.6% |
| 19 | Chongqing | 31,900,000 | 2024 | -0.0% |
| 20 | Heilongjiang | 30,290,000 | 2024 | -1.1% |
| 21 | Xinjiang | 26,230,000 | 2024 | +1.0% |
| 22 | Shanghai | 24,800,000 | 2024 | -0.3% |
| 23 | Gansu | 24,580,000 | 2024 | -0.3% |
| 24 | Inner Mongolia | 23,880,000 | 2024 | -0.3% |
| 25 | Jilin | 23,170,000 | 2024 | -0.9% |
| 26 | Beijing | 21,830,000 | 2024 | -0.1% |
| 27 | Tianjin | 13,640,000 | 2024 | +0.0% |
| 28 | Hainan | 10,480,000 | 2024 | +0.5% |
| 29 | Ningxia | 7,290,000 | 2024 | +0.0% |
| 30 | Qinghai | 5,930,000 | 2024 | -0.2% |
| 31 | Xizang (Tibet) | 3,700,000 | 2024 | +1.4% |
Cities: the largest cities of China.
More on China: official statistics · government and power · local power
Sources
- National Bureau of Statistics of China: China Statistical Yearbook 2025, Table 2-5: Population at Year-end by Region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 f107c477adfb…)
- National Bureau of Statistics of China: China Statistical Yearbook 2025, Table 3-9: Gross Regional Product (2024), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 a9264dcab644…)
- National Bureau of Statistics of China: China Statistical Yearbook 2025, Table 6-18: Per Capita Disposable Income of Households by Region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 5ecda4c527e6…)
- National Bureau of Statistics of China: China Statistical Yearbook 2025, Table 6-21: Per Capita Consumption Expenditure of Households by Composition and Region (2024), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 364b1913585f…)
- National Bureau of Statistics of China: China Statistical Yearbook 2025, Table 7-5: General Public Budget Revenue by Region (2024), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 d07c3442c850…)
- National Bureau of Statistics of China: China Statistical Yearbook 2025, Table 7-6: General Public Expenditure by Region (2024), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 216b15998be4…)
- National Bureau of Statistics of China: China Statistical Yearbook 2025, Table 2-5 Population at Year-end by Region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 3b81be7724a9…)
- National Bureau of Statistics of China: China Statistical Yearbook 2025, Table 2-14 Illiterate Population Aged 15 and Over by Gender and Region (2024), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 90b33b452d5a…)
Each saved copy is the file exactly as downloaded, kept so the figures can be checked even if the source changes. Report an error.