According to media reports, cities across China have recently released their permanent resident population data for 2025, and the top 10 cities by population growth have been unveiled, which are Shenzhen, Dongguan, Guangzhou, Changsha, Jinan, Foshan, Zhongshan, Huizhou, Hangzhou and Qingdao.

Data shows that 5 cities saw their permanent resident population increase by more than 100,000 last year, including Shenzhen, Dongguan, Guangzhou, Changsha and Jinan. The top 3 are all in the Pearl River Delta.

Shenzhen's permanent resident population stood at 18.2485 million at the end of 2025, up 259,000 from a year earlier, recording the largest increase among major cities.

Zhongshan's permanent resident population reached 4.5723 million at the end of 2025, up 77,700 year on year.