Quick facts
Shanghai overview
Shanghai (orange) and the other large cities of China
Shanghai lies in China at 31.22°N, 121.46°E, about 12 m above sea level. The local time zone is Asia/Shanghai (UTC+8); GeoNames classifies it as a regional capital.
It is the biggest urban centre of China: the next largest cities are Chongqing (22,000,000), Chengdu (20,937,757), Beijing (18,960,744). Together, the three largest cities hold 4.8% of the national population.
The national capital, Beijing, is about 1,068 km away; the nearest large city is Taicang, 43 km from Shanghai.
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 Shanghai
Largest cities in China
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Shanghai?
Shanghai has about 24,874,500 inhabitants according to the latest official census or estimate compiled by GeoNames. This is the city proper; the metropolitan area is larger.
Is Shanghai the capital of China?
No. The capital of China is Beijing (18,960,744 people), about 1,068 km away. Shanghai is the largest city of the country and a regional capital.
How big is Shanghai compared with the rest of China?
Its 24,874,500 residents are 1.8% of the 1,411,968,572 people living in China today. It is the largest city in the country.
Where is Shanghai?
In China, at latitude 31.22 and longitude 121.46, 12 m above sea level. Nearby large cities include Taicang (43 km), Chongming (50 km), Kunshan (51 km).
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Cite or link to this page
Glostats. (2026). Shanghai Population 2026 — China. Retrieved October 20, 2026, from https://glostats.com/cities/china/shanghai/<a href="https://glostats.com/cities/china/shanghai/">Shanghai 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.