# economy

Guangdong’s Demographic Leap: China’s Economic Engine Secures Its Place as the Nation’s Most Populous Province

Guangdong reached a record 128.59 million permanent residents in 2025, growing by about 790,000 and cementing its position as China’s most populous province. The rise is driven more by inward migration than by births alone, making Guangdong a demographic outlier that is simultaneously an economic engine and a key contributor to national birth numbers.