Quick facts
Baotou overview
Baotou (orange) and the other large cities of China
Baotou lies in Inner Mongolia in China at 40.65°N, 109.84°E, about 1,064 m above sea level. The local time zone is Asia/Shanghai (UTC+8).
It is smaller than Yinchuan (2,859,074) and larger than Linyi (2,743,843). The largest city in China is Shanghai with 24,874,500 people; the capital, Beijing, has 18,960,744.
The national capital, Beijing, is about 562 km away; the nearest large city is Salaqi, 58 km from Baotou.
China as a whole has a live population of 1,411,968,572 (-0.2% a year) and ranks #2 of 238 countries — see the China population page for the full statistics and the China atlas for provinces, terrain and society maps.
Cities near Baotou
Largest cities in China
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Baotou?
Baotou has about 2,761,700 inhabitants according to the latest official census or estimate compiled by GeoNames. This is the city proper; the metropolitan area is larger.
Is Baotou the capital of China?
No. The capital of China is Beijing (18,960,744 people), about 562 km away. Baotou is the 57th largest city of the country.
How big is Baotou compared with the rest of China?
Its 2,761,700 residents are 0.2% of the 1,411,968,572 people living in China today. Shanghai is larger with 24,874,500 people.
Where is Baotou?
In Inner Mongolia, China, at latitude 40.65 and longitude 109.84, 1,064 m above sea level. Nearby large cities include Salaqi (58 km), Dongsheng (94 km), Ordos (116 km).
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Cite or link to this page
Glostats. (2026). Baotou Population 2026 — China. Retrieved October 20, 2026, from https://glostats.com/cities/china/baotou/<a href="https://glostats.com/cities/china/baotou/">Baotou Population 2026 — China</a> — GlostatsFigures on this page may be quoted, charted or republished as long as the page is credited with a link. Terms · Download the data as CSV · Embed a live counter.
City populations are GeoNames figures (CC BY 4.0): the latest official census or estimate for the city proper — the municipality, not the wider metropolitan area — so they can differ from "metro area" numbers you see elsewhere. Country populations are live Glostats estimates from the UN World Population Prospects. Distances are great-circle distances between city centres. Page generated 2026-10-20. More about our data.