(Yicai Global) May 17 -- Western and central China, including the cities of Changsha and Hefei, are becoming the last drivers of population growth in the aging society.

Eight of the 10 top cities with the highest population growth in 2022, including Xi'an in Shaanxi, Guiyang in Guizhou, Nanchang in Jiangxi, and Kunming in Yunnan, are located in western and central parts of the country, according to public data. Only two out of 10 were in coastal areas, namely Hangzhou and Qingdao. But the big trend is downward as last year, China's population fell for the first time in over 60 years.

Costs are rising in the highly developed coastal areas of China so central and western regions, especially the middle and upper reaches of the Yangtze River, are benefiting from industrial transfers while the transportation infrastructure such as high-speed railway routes are improving so economic development advances quickly, per Ding Changfa, associate professor at Xiamen University.

Among the 10 top cities, six are located in the middle and upper reaches of the Yangtze River, including Nanchang and Wuhan.

Changsha was the biggest winner of new taxpayers last year as the capital city of Hunan province boosted its population by 181,300. The city has vibrant equipment manufacturing, culture, and medical industries which attract talent.

Hangzhou ranked second with an increase of 172,000 people. The eastern city has relatively good foundations for development, according to Tang Hairu, expert from the municipal planning bureau. Especially Hangzhou’s digital economy has great development potential, luring talent, Tang added.

Hefei added 169,000 permanent residents in 2022, coming in third. The city in Anhui province is home to a number of semiconductor companies such as ChangXin Memory Technologies and Nexchip Semiconductor. Moreover, electric carmakers BYD and Nio have production bases in the area.

Editors: Shi Yi, Emmi Laine, Xiao Yi