From Guangdong to Tibet, Mainland China’s 31 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities have become economic titans in their own right. Four Chinese provinces would rank among the world’s 20 largest economies, and 23 would rank among the top 50.
China has the world’s second-largest economy, with a GDP of USD 18.80 trillion in 2024. On a regional basis, Mainland China’s GDP is distributed between 31 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities, from the outsized economic centres of Guangdong and Jiangsu down to the outlying regions of Tibet and Ningxia:
- With a GDP of USD 1.99 trillion, Guangdong is slightly larger than the economy of South Korea, and if considered as a country, would be the world’s 12th-largest economy.
- Guangdong and second-largest Jiangsu (USD 1.92 trillion), whose GDP is comparable with that of Mexico, account for 10% each of China’s total GDP.
- Along with Guangdong and Jiangsu, China has two additional provinces with GDPs over a trillion US dollars: Shandong (USD 1.39 trillion) and Zhejiang (USD 1.27 trillion). These four provinces would currently rank among the world’s 20 largest economies by GDP.
- A total of 23 of China’s administrative units, up to and including the autonomous region of Xinjiang with a GDP of USD 288 billion, would currently rank among the world’s top 50 economies.
- The municipality of Beijing (USD 711 billion) has a larger GDP than the country of Belgium (USD 665 billion).
- At USD 39 billion, Tibet has China’s smallest GDP, although this autonomous region’s GDP would currently be the world’s 98th-largest world economy, and would be larger than around 100 other world economies.
With a GDP of over USD 29 trillion in 2024, the U.S. is the only world economy larger than China. According to data by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, three states in the U.S. currently have GDPs larger than that of Guangdong: California (USD 4.10 trillion), Texas (USD 2.71 trillion) and New York (USD 2.30 trillion).
Vermont, the U.S. state with the smallest GDP (USD 45.71 billion), has a smaller GDP than all Chinese administrative units except Tibet.
ANDAMAN PARTNERS supports international business ventures and growth. We help launch global initiatives and accelerate successful expansion across borders. If your business, operations or project requires cross-border support, contact connect@andamanpartners.com.
ANDAMAN PARTNERS Was a Co-Sponsor of the South African National Day Reception in Shanghai on 30 May 2025
ANDAMAN PARTNERS was a cosponsor of the South African National Day Reception in Shanghai on 30 May 2025.
Asia’s Shifting Role in Global Supply Chains — Perspectives by ANDAMAN PARTNERS Co-Founder Rachel Wu
Analysis by ANDAMAN PARTNERS Co-Founder Rachel Wu on changing patterns in global supply chains.
ANDAMAN PARTNERS Co-sponsored the West Australian Mining Club Luncheon in Perth on 27 February 2025
WA Mining Club luncheons are valuable ways to network with colleagues and clients and learn about the latest industry insights.
China Navigator – Q3 2025
ANDAMAN PARTNERS outlines, unpacks and unravels some of the broad shifts and finer intricacies of China’s economic development and transition in 2025.
GDP Comparison: China’s Administrative Units vs World Economies of Comparable Size
From Guangdong to Tibet, Mainland China’s 31 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities have become economic titans in their own right.
Global Investment in Clean Energy and Fossil Fuels in 2025
The future of energy is clean and electric, with record investment of USD 2.2 trillion in clean energy in 2025, led by China.
