(Yicai) April 7 -- Eight of the 28 Chinese provincial-level regions that have released population data for last year reported an increase in permanent residents, with the figure remaining unchanged in two and dropping for the rest.

Guangdong, Zhejiang, Fujian, Hainan, Anhui, and Shaanxi provinces and Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region and Xizang Autonomous Region were the eight to log permanent population growth, according to recent official figures.

The permanent residents of Guangdong climbed by 740,000 to 127.8 million in the 12 months ended Dec. 31 from the previous year, growing by the most among all regions in China and ranking it as the most-populated province for the 18th straight year.

Regarding the number of newborns, Guangdong reported a jump of 100,000 to 1.13 million, making it the province with the most births for the seventh consecutive year and the only one where the figure exceeded one million since 2020.

Anhui was the only province of the six central Chinese provincial-level regions to log a growth in permanent population in 2024, seeing a net inflow of 157,000 people from other provinces.

Anhui has been deeply involved in developing the Yangtze River Delta region, playing an important role in the alliance to build a world-class urban agglomeration with global influence in the area, according to experts. A lot of production capacity from neighboring Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces and Shanghai moved to Anhui in recent years, significantly boosting its economy and motivating many people to return, the experts pointed out.

In addition, Anhui has formed a modern industrial system that covers new energy vehicles, integrated circuits, optical storage, and artificial intelligence. Its NEV output surged 95 percent to second-most in China at 1.68 million units last year from the prior one, while it ranked first by car exports, accounting for one of every four Chinese auto exports.

Editor: Martin Kadiev