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Haikou Population

Population · latest official estimate
3,001,600

Haikou is the 54th largest city in China, with a population of about 3 million — 0.2% of the country's 1.41 billion people — about as many people as the whole of Moldova. Worldwide it ranks #128 among 5,279 cities with 100,000 or more inhabitants.

Quick facts

GeoNames · UN WPP
Population
3,001,600
city proper · GeoNames
Rank in China
#54 of 644
largest cities tracked
World rank
#128
of 5,279 cities ≥ 100k
Region
Hainan
first-level division
Status
Regional capital
Elevation
9 m
above sea level
Time zone
UTC+8
Asia/Shanghai
Coordinates
20.03°N 110.35°E
Share of country
0.2%
of 1.41B people

Haikou overview

Updated October 2026
Shanghai · 24,874,500Chongqing · 22,000,000Chengdu · 20,937,757Beijing · 18,960,744Guangzhou · 18,676,605Shenzhen · 17,494,398Tianjin · 13,866,009Wuhan · 13,739,000Xi’an · 12,952,907Hangzhou · 11,936,010Harbin · 10,009,854Dongguan · 9,644,871Hefei · 9,465,881Weifang · 9,386,705Nanjing · 9,314,685Shenyang · 9,070,093Foshan · 9,042,509Jinan · 8,352,574Dalian · 7,450,785Wuzhong · 7,202,654Qingdao · 7,172,451Yantai · 7,102,100Suzhou · 6,715,559Zhengzhou · 6,650,532Nanning · 5,977,185Kunming · 5,950,578Shijiazhuang · 5,758,403Changchun · 5,691,024Taiyuan · 5,305,061Zibo · 4,704,138Xiamen · 4,617,251Yangzhou · 4,559,797Huai'an · 4,556,230Guiyang · 4,506,134Bao'an · 4,476,554Wuxi · 4,396,835Lanzhou · 4,359,446Fuzhou · 4,094,491Ürümqi · 4,054,000Zaozhuang · 3,855,601Haikou · 3,001,600Haikou

Haikou (orange) and the other large cities of China

Haikou lies in Hainan in China at 20.03°N, 110.35°E, about 9 m above sea level. The local time zone is Asia/Shanghai (UTC+8); GeoNames classifies it as a regional capital.

It is smaller than Huainan (3,033,528) and larger than Huizhou (2,900,113). 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 2,284 km away; the nearest large city is Xiuying, 7 km from Haikou.

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 Haikou

Within 200 km · straight-line distance
CityDistancePopulation
Xiuying
Hainan
7 km290,000
Wenchang
Hainan
72 km560,894
Qionghai
Hainan
89 km528,238
Nada
Hainan
98 km256,652
Zhanjiang
Guangdong
133 km1,400,709
Wanning
Hainan
137 km545,992
Wuchuan
Guangdong
164 km907,354
Wuzhishan
Hainan
165 km112,269

Largest cities in China

Top 10 · all 644 →
#CityRegionPopulation
1ShanghaiShanghai24,874,500
2ChongqingChongqing22,000,000
3ChengduSichuan20,937,757
4BeijingCapitalBeijing18,960,744
5GuangzhouGuangdong18,676,605
6ShenzhenGuangdong17,494,398
7TianjinTianjin13,866,009
8WuhanHubei13,739,000
9Xi’anShaanxi12,952,907
10HangzhouZhejiang11,936,010

Frequently asked questions

What is the population of Haikou?

Haikou has about 3,001,600 inhabitants according to the latest official census or estimate compiled by GeoNames. This is the city proper; the metropolitan area is larger.

Is Haikou the capital of China?

No. The capital of China is Beijing (18,960,744 people), about 2,284 km away. Haikou is the 54th largest city of the country and a regional capital.

How big is Haikou compared with the rest of China?

Its 3,001,600 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 Haikou?

In Hainan, China, at latitude 20.03 and longitude 110.35, 9 m above sea level. Nearby large cities include Xiuying (7 km), Wenchang (72 km), Qionghai (89 km).

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APAGlostats. (2026). Haikou Population 2026 — China. Retrieved October 20, 2026, from https://glostats.com/cities/china/haikou/
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Figures 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.