Quick facts
Changsha overview
Changsha (orange) and the other large cities of China
Changsha lies in Hunan in China at 28.2°N, 112.97°E, about 67 m above sea level. The local time zone is Asia/Shanghai (UTC+8); GeoNames classifies it as a regional capital.
It is smaller than Datong (3,105,591) and larger than Huainan (3,033,528). 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 1,339 km away; the nearest large city is Xiangtan, 39 km from Changsha.
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 Changsha
Largest cities in China
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Changsha?
Changsha has about 3,093,980 inhabitants according to the latest official census or estimate compiled by GeoNames. This is the city proper; the metropolitan area is larger.
Is Changsha the capital of China?
No. The capital of China is Beijing (18,960,744 people), about 1,339 km away. Changsha is the 52nd largest city of the country and a regional capital.
How big is Changsha compared with the rest of China?
Its 3,093,980 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 Changsha?
In Hunan, China, at latitude 28.2 and longitude 112.97, 67 m above sea level. Nearby large cities include Xiangtan (39 km), Zhuzhou (44 km), Shaoshan (54 km).
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Cite or link to this page
Glostats. (2026). Changsha Population 2026 — China. Retrieved October 20, 2026, from https://glostats.com/cities/china/changsha/<a href="https://glostats.com/cities/china/changsha/">Changsha 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.