appConfigEntityId

bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

isVideo

articlePageQuery

article

articleSchemaContent

content

hooksArticlePageAdvertisementConfigArticle

hooksArticlePageFloatingButtonConfigArticle

appConfig

filter

json

liveArticle

Xinyi Wu

Shenzhen recorded the largest increase in permanent residents among Chinese cities in 2025, a rare bright spot as some megacities lose their appeal amid a deepening demographic shift.
The southern tech hub added 259,000 permanent residents last year, bringing its total population to 18.25 million, according to a notice released by the local government on Monday.
Designated as China’s first special economic zone in 1980, Shenzhen has since evolved into one of the country’s most powerful population magnets, a trend analysts attributed to a mutually reinforcing relationship between sound economic policies and human capital.
He Yafu, an independent demographer, said the region’s decades-long track record had underscored the broader economic benefits of a growing population.
“Shenzhen’s development over more than 40 years shows that as long as there are sound economic policies, population growth benefits economic development,” He wrote in a report on Tuesday.
“Human resources and talent resources are the most valuable resources.”


The young, migrant-dominated city was followed by Dongguan and Guangzhou – all three in Guangdong province – which added about 229,600 and 123,000 permanent residents, respectively.
For decades, Beijing sought to curb population growth through measures such as the one-child policy – which officially ended in 2016 – in an effort to boost economic development and raise living standards.
But Shenzhen’s experience challenged that model, emerging as one of China’s wealthiest cities amid rapid population growth in recent decades. Last year, official data showed it recorded a per capita gross domestic product of 213,763 yuan (US$31,500) – more than twice the national average.
The megacity also registered a higher birth rate and a lower mortality rate than the national average, He noted, attributing this partly to Shenzhen’s youthful demographic, with an average age of 32.5 in 2024.
Meanwhile, Shenzhen’s robust tech sector – home to domestic heavyweights such as Tencent Holdings and Huawei Technologies – alongside residency-friendly policies and its proximity to Hong Kong, has fuelled an influx of talent.
The trend contrasts sharply with that of cities such as Beijing, historically the main economic draw for young professionals in northern China, but now characterised by a stringent residency system and tightening job opportunities.


The capital’s permanent resident population stood at 21.8 million in 2025, declining by 32,000 from the previous year. Its annual statistical yearbook, released in March, showed that the population aged between 20 and 29 had nearly halved, from 4.62 million in 2015 to 2.49 million in 2024.
Workers are increasingly moving south to coastal hubs such as the Yangtze River Delta – which includes major cities Shanghai, Hangzhou and Suzhou – and the Greater Bay Area, where Shenzhen is located.
Hangzhou, home to tech giant Alibaba Group Holding and fast-growing start-ups such as DeepSeek, added 76,000 permanent residents in 2025, bringing its total to 12.7 million, according to local government data. Alibaba owns the South China Morning Post.
Shanghai’s permanent resident population also grew, increasing by 51,500 to 24.85 million, official data showed.


Why women in China are still at risk of abduction and forced marriage

Improving migrant workers’ living standards key to boosting Chinese consumption: HSBC

Why is surrogacy in China proving so difficult to ban despite the crackdown?

In a bid to boost births, Shanghai waives out-of-pocket expenses for maternal care

China's population

How Shenzhen’s growing population defies China’s urban demographic shift

Crowds of pedestrians walk along a busy commercial street in Shenzhen’s Dongmen area on April 18. Photo: Getty Images

China now home to more people over 65 than children, official survey finds

A staff member serves cakes to two women at an elderly care service centre in Linyi, Shandong province, on May 10. Photo: Xinhua

A young man walks past two elderly people resting on Shanghai’s Bund promenade on Thursday. Photo: AFP

Shenzhen’s retail sales flatline as export boom fails to benefit residents

People shop at CoCo Park in Shenzhen last month. Photo: Edmond So

China removes hukou hurdle for migrant workers in social insurance shake-up

Migrant workers in Yunnan province head to a railway station during Chinese New Year in February 2024. Photo: VCG via Getty Images

China faces a France-sized demographic loss that threatens coastal growth: analysts

Elderly people rest at a park in Fuyang in eastern China’s Anhui province on September 13, 2024. Photo: AFP

How China could benefit as US-Iran talks raise hopes of oil sanctions relief

China’s imports of Iranian oil have fallen sharply in recent months, according to the US think tank Middle East Forum, citing data from commodity intelligence firm Kpler. Photo: Reuters

Economy

China Economy

The global tech powerhouse attracts more workers and has higher birth and lower mortality rates than the national average


The global tech powerhouse attracts more workers and has higher birth and lower mortality rates than the national average.


How Shenzhen’s growing population defies China’s urban demographic shift

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}The global tech powerhouse attracts more workers and has higher birth and lower mortality rates than the national average

The global tech powerhouse attracts more workers and has higher birth and lower mortality rates than the national average