As the world's second-largest economy after the US, China has attracted numerous businesses to vie for its sizable and fast-expanding markets. In recent years, these businesses have extended their footprints beyond the major Chinese cities to capture untapped opportunities in smaller cities.

By measuring growth in jobs, wages, and per- capita gross regional product, the 'Best-Performing Cities China 2021' report aims to provide businesses, investors, policymakers, and many others with a tool for better understanding and evaluating the economic development of China’s cities and regions to guide decision-making. This study uses official data from the year 2019—the latest available—to assess the economic performance of cities in China that are at or above the prefecture level. It sorts 238 Chinese cities into two groups: the largest-cities group, with 33 first- and second-tier cities; and the small and medium-sized group, with 205 third-tier cities. The two groups are ranked separately based on economic performance. View the executive summary of the report here.

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