Guangdong, Zhejiang See Largest Population Increases in 2019

Guangdong and Zhejiang were the most attractive provinces to migrants in 2019, according to a recently released national statistical bulletin. The data, cited in a Thursday report by China News Service, shows that each of the two provinces attracted over 800,000 new migrants last year.

Zhang Zhixin, an associate professor at Capital University of Economics and Business in Beijing, attributed the population increases in Guangdong and Zhejiang to their robust economies, which attracted fresh labor.

Guangdong has had the most permanent residents of any province, autonomous region, or municipality for the past 14 years, with Shandong and Henan ranking second and third respectively last year, according to China News Service.

Meanwhile, Beijing reported negative permanent resident growth for the third year in a row. The three northeastern provinces of Heilongjiang, Jilin, and Liaoning also saw negative growth in 2019 — a phenomenon that can be traced to the diminished prominence of the region’s former industrial boomtowns, or “shrinking cities.” (Image: IC)