Core Insights - The research group has developed a comprehensive index system to evaluate the high-quality development of small and medium-sized cities in China, focusing on various dimensions such as economic strength, green development, investment potential, and technological innovation [1][3][5] Group 1: Definition and Scope of Small and Medium-Sized Cities - Small and medium-sized cities are defined as urban areas with a permanent population of over 100,000 and relatively independent municipal facilities, with over 2,650 cities identified in China by the end of 2024 [1] - Among these, there are approximately 2,554 small and medium-sized cities, including various administrative divisions such as county-level cities and towns [1] Group 2: Research Subjects - The evaluation focuses on county-level cities, counties, and relatively independent urban districts, excluding the four direct-controlled municipalities [2] Group 3: Evaluation System and Results - The comprehensive strength index for small and medium-sized cities includes five primary indicators: economic development, innovation drive, ecological environment, urban-rural development, and social harmony, with a total score of 77.5 for 2024, indicating strong resilience [3] - The top 100 counties and cities represent 1.79% of the national land area, housing 6.52% of the population and contributing 9.66% of the national economic total, with a per capita GDP of 142,100 yuan, 1.48 times the national average [3] Group 4: Regional Distribution - The top 100 counties are predominantly located in the eastern region, with Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Shandong provinces holding the majority of the rankings [3][4] - The central region has 19 representatives, with Henan and Anhui showing notable performance, while the western region has 9, and the northeast has 2 [4] Group 5: Towns' Comprehensive Strength Index - The comprehensive strength index for towns is set at 65.7 for 2024, with the eastern region leading with 790 representatives, particularly in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Guangdong [5][6] - The top towns cover an area of 118,500 square kilometers, housing approximately 92.6 million residents, and contributing significantly to the national industrial economy [6] Group 6: Future Reports - The 2025 report will include rankings for various categories such as comprehensive strength, green development, investment potential, and technological innovation, available in the "China Small and Medium-Sized Cities Development Report (2025)" [6]

Core Insights - The 2025 National Top 1,000 Towns list has been released, with Guangdong province having 134 towns listed, an increase of 10 from the previous year, indicating a continued growth trend in regional comprehensive strength [2][3][5] Summary by Categories Overall Ranking - Guangdong ranks third in the number of towns listed, following Jiangsu and Zhejiang [3][5] - The top 10 and top 30 rankings include 3 and 11 towns from Guangdong respectively, with major cities like Guangzhou, Foshan, Zhuhai, and Dongguan contributing significantly [3][4] Regional Distribution - The eastern region of China leads with a total of 790 towns, accounting for nearly 80% of the total, with Jiangsu having 249, Zhejiang 197, and Guangdong 134 [5][6] Town Contributions - Dongguan has the highest representation with 28 towns, followed by Guangzhou (25), Foshan (20), Zhongshan (13), Zhaoqing (12), and Zhuhai (10) [7][8] Economic Indicators - The report indicates that the total area of the top 1,000 towns reached 118,500 square kilometers, representing 1.23% of the national land area [20] - The total resident population of these towns is approximately 92.6 million, making up 6.58% of the national population, which is over 22 million more than the registered population [21] - There are 92,635 industrial enterprises in these towns, accounting for 18.78% of the national total [21] - The average public budget revenue per town is 629 million yuan, highlighting their role as significant contributors to the national industrial economy [22] Evaluation Framework - The comprehensive strength index for towns includes five primary indicators: economic development, innovation vitality, development potential, ecological livability, and quality of life, with a total of 26 secondary indicators [18][19]