Per capita gross domestic product (GDP) in China 2021, by region

In 2021, the annual per capita gross domestic product (GDP) in different provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions in China varied from approximately 184,000 yuan in Beijing municipality to roughly 41,000 yuan in Gansu province. The average national per capita GDP crossed the threshold of 10,000 U.S. dollars in 2019 and reached around 81,000 yuan in 2021.

Regional economic differences in China

The level of economic development varies considerably in different parts of China. Four major geographic and economic regions can be discerned in the country: The economically advanced coastal regions in the east, less developed regions in Northeast and Central China, and the developing regions in the west. This division has deep historical roots reflecting the geography of each region and their political past and present. Furthermore, regional economic development closely correlates with regional urbanization rates, which closely resembles the borders of the four main economic regions.

Private income in different parts of China

Breaking the average income figures further down by province, municipality, or autonomous region reveals that the average disposable income in Shanghai or Beijing is on average roughly four times higher than in Tibet or Gansu province. In rural areas, average disposable income is often only between one third and one half of that in urban areas of the same region. Accordingly, consumer expenditure per capita in urban areas reaches the highest levels in Shanghai, Beijing, and the coastal regions of China.