Top Richest Province in the China

Top Richest Province in China: Mainland China has 34 province-level administrative divisions in which 23 are provinces, 5 are autonomous regions, 4 are municipalities, and 2 are special administrative regions (SARs) that reflects the high per capita GDP. Guangdong province is China’s richest provinces. Guangdong province’s GDP was 13.57 trillion yuan in 2022. In 2023, Guangdong province regional GDP increase by about 10 %. It is a leading manufacturing hub where about half of the country’s population (including immigrants) are employed in various sectors.

In this article, we are going to discuss the top richest provinces in China in detail by accounting for their population, tax collection %, and GDP.

Top Richest Province in China

The People’s Republic of China (PRC) holds a total population of 1,425,346,065 with 310,866 immigrants.  China has 1,430,695 immigrants, which is 0.1% of the population. The main countries of birth for immigrants to China are Vietnam (44%), Korea (21%), and Brazil (8%). In December 2023, China’s tax revenue was reported at $177.992 billion, an increase from $146.471 billion in November 2023. Here is a detailed table of the top richest province in China with their population, tax rate, and GDP.

Rank	Provinces	GDP (CN¥) Billion	GDP (US$) Billion	Growth at current prices (%)	Real growth (%)	Share (%)	Total Population
1	Guangdong	13,567.30	1,925.34	4.8	4.8	10.76	115,218,837
2	Jiangsu	12,822.20	1,819.60	5.0	5.8	10.17	80,147,000
3	Shandong	9,206.90	1,306.55	5.1	6.0	7.30	100,700,000
4	Zhejiang	8,255.30	1,171.51	5.8	6.0	6.55	64,574,000
5	Sichuan	6,013.30	853.35	6.2	6.0	4.77	83,800,000
6	Henan	5,913.20	839.14	1.6	4.1	4.69	94,023,567
7	Hubei	5,580.40	791.92	5.8	6.0	4.43	59,210,000
8	Fujian	5,435.50	771.35	5.0	4.5	4.31	41,540,000
9	Hunan	5,001.30	709.74	5.2	4.6	3.97	65,683,722
10	Shanghai	4,721.90	670.09	5.4	5.0	3.75	21,542,000

Read More: What is the per capita income of China?

Guangdong – 13,567.30 CN¥ Billion

Guangdong is a province on the coast in southeastern China, next to Hong Kong and Macau. It is known for its fast-growing economy, factories, and tourism. Guangdong is China’s most crowded province, with 126.84 million people in 2021. It has a long coastline along the South China Sea. Guangdong makes and sends out lots of different things. It sells stuff to places like Hong Kong, the United States, Japan, South Korea, India, and ASEAN. In 2023, Guangdong was the first Chinese province with a GDP over 13 trillion yuan (about $1.83 trillion). The capital is Guangzhou, which is in the Pearl River Delta. Cool places in Guangdong include the Ping An Finance Centre, the Canton Tower, and the Chimelong Ocean Kingdom.

Indicator	Data
GDP (2023, CN¥ Billion)	13,567.30
Total Population	115.21 million
Major Industries	Electronics, Textiles, Machinery, Petrochemicals
Top Exports	Electronics, Machinery, Textiles, Furniture
Key Economic Drivers	Manufacturing, Trade, Technology
Major Employers	Huawei, Tencent, Alibaba
Economic Growth Rate	7.8%

Read More: US-China Trade War: Timeline, Impact, Summary

Jiangsu – 12,822.20 CN¥ Billion

Jiangsu is a province on China’s eastern coast, found in the Yangtze Delta. It’s next to the Yellow Sea on the east, Shandong on the north, Anhui on the west, and Shanghai and Zhejiang on the southeast. It’s about 41,390 square miles big. Nanjing is its capital, which used to be the capital of China during the Ming dynasty and under the Nationalist government. Other big cities in Jiangsu are Suzhou and Wuxi, both by the Yangtze River. Jiangsu is called “a land of fish and rice”. Its coast has helped it grow quickly in trade. In 2010, its GDP was second only to Guangdong, and its GDP per person was the highest among all Chinese provinces. Jiangsu has Lake Tai and Lake Hongze, two of China’s biggest freshwater lakes. It also has lots of old places to visit, some of which are on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Indicator	Data
GDP (2023, CN¥ Billion)	12,822.20
Total Population	85.15 million
Major Industries	Machinery, Electronics, Chemicals, Automobiles
Top Exports	Textiles, Machinery, Electronics, Chemicals
Key Economic Drivers	Manufacturing, Trade, Technology
Major Employers	Foxconn, Huawei, Alibaba
Economic Growth Rate	7.6%

Read More: China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)

Shandong – 9,206.90 CN¥ Billion

Shandong is a province on China’s eastern coast, by the Yellow Sea, near the Yellow River’s end. It shares borders with Tianjin, Hebei, Henan, Anhui, and Jiangsu. Shandong is famous for its Taoist and Confucian traditions. It was once the land of the Qi state, the last kingdom defeated by Qin Shi Huang. Shandong has a mild climate with short springs and autumns but long summers and winters. It gets about 550–950 mm of rain each year. Jinan is Shandong’s capital. Popular places to visit include Qingdao, Jinan, and Yantai, with attractions like Daming Lake, Baotu Spring, and Zhan Qiao. Shandong has 41 colleges and universities like Shandong University, Shandong University of Science and Technology, and Shandong University of Technology.

Indicator	Data
GDP (2023, CN¥ Billion)	9,206.90
Total Population	100.7 million
Major Industries	Machinery, Electronics, Chemicals, Agriculture
Top Exports	Machinery, Electronics, Textiles, Chemicals
Key Economic Drivers	Manufacturing, Agriculture, Trade
Major Employers	Haier, Hisense, Tsingtao Brewery
Economic Growth Rate	7.2%

Read More: China’s Poverty Alleviation Programmes

Zhejiang – 8,255.30 CN¥ Billion

Zhejiang, located in southeastern China, is famous for its rich plant diversity. With over 3,800 different types of plants, including gingko and more than 50 others that are considered rare and protected by the government. Zhejiang is also a top performer in rural economy. The income per person in rural areas has risen significantly from 5,431 yuan in 2003 to 37,565 yuan in 2022. This province embraces various religions like Buddhism, Taoism, Islam, Catholicism, and Christianity. It’s home to 13 important Buddhist temples recognized nationally, and Mount Putuo is one of the well-known Buddhist sites. Zhejiang is renowned for its extensive forest cover. It boasts charming ancient water towns such as Wuzhen, featuring picturesque stone bridges, well-preserved historic areas, and water passages connected to the Grand Canal.

Indicator	Value
GDP (2023, CN¥ Billion)	8,255.30
Total Population	64.57 million
Major Industries	Machinery, Electronics, Textiles, Chemicals
Top Exports	Machinery, Electronics, Textiles, Chemicals
Key Economic Drivers	Manufacturing, Trade, Technology
Major Employers	Alibaba, Geely, Wahaha
Economic Growth Rate	7.4%

Read More: Trade Wars – History, US-China Trade War & Impact

Sichuan – 6,013.30 CN¥ Billion

Sichuan is a region in southwest China. It is found in a valley by a big river called the Yangtze, covering a big area called the Sichuan Basin and part of a high land called the Tibetan Plateau. The name Sichuan means “four rivers” because it has four main rivers: Jialing, Jinsha, Min, and Tuo. Sichuan is famous for its big pandas and super spicy food. It has many schools, including Sichuan University and Sichuan Agricultural University. The main city in Sichuan is Chengdu, known for its traditional opera. Some cool places in Sichuan are the Leshan Giant Buddha, Jiuzhaigou, and the Chengdu Research Base where they breed giant pandas.

Indicator	Data
GDP (2023, CN¥ Billion)	6,013.30
Total Population	83.41 million
Major Industries	Energy, Agriculture, Electronics, Machinery
Top Exports	Energy, Chemicals, Machinery, Textiles
Key Economic Drivers	Agriculture, Energy, Manufacturing
Major Employers	Sinopec, PetroChina, Moutai
Economic Growth Rate	6.9%

Read More: Foreign Trade and Integration of Markets

China’s Immigrant Count

China has 1,430,695 immigrants, including 845,697 foreign nationals and 584,998 residents of Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan as of 2020. As of 2023, China has granted around 12,000 foreigners permanent resident status. In 2023, China’s immigration administrations inspected 424 million people entering or exiting the country, which is a 266.5% increase from the previous year. In 2022, China issued 477,000 residence permits to foreigners, including 216,000 for work, 115,000 for family reunions, 76,000 for private affairs, and 70,000 for study.

People Also Read:

• Currency of China
• List of Countries Bordered By China with Map
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FAQs – Top Richest Counties in the China

What is the richest province in China?

Guangdong province is China’s richest provinces. Guangdong province’s GDP was 13.57 trillion yuan in 2022. In 2023, Guangdong province regional GDP increase by about 10 %.

Which part of China is the richest?

Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Beijing are among China’s — and the world’s — richest cities. The three clocked near the top of Henley & Partners’ ranking of the top 50 global cities with the highest number of high-net-worth individuals (HNWI).

Which Chinese cities are the richest?

Shanghai was the city with the largest GDP in China, reaching a value added of approximately 4.5 trillion yuan. The four Chinese first-tier cites Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Guangzhou had by far the strongest economic performance.

Which Chinese city has the highest GDP?

In 2022, Shanghai had the highest gross domestic product (GDP) of all provincial capitals and municipalities in China, approximately 4.5 trillion yuan. Beijing followed second with around 4.2 trillion yuan.

Whose GDP is more India or China?

The largest economy in Asia is China, with a nominal GDP of over $19,374 billion in 2024. Japan and India rank next to China in the GDP rankings in Asia.

What are the poorest cities in China?

Chinese cities with largest and smallest per capita GDP 2021. The poorest cities are located in the still less developed western parts of China, like Gansu province, or in the Chinese rust belt in Northeastern China, like Heilongjiang province.

Where is the most expensive city in China?

Shanghai, China’s biggest city and a global financial hub, has topped the list of the world’s most expensive cities to live for the rich people.