Quick facts
Xichang overview
Xichang (orange) and the other large cities of China
Xichang lies in Sichuan in China at 27.9°N, 102.26°E, about 1,558 m above sea level. The local time zone is Asia/Shanghai (UTC+8); GeoNames classifies it as a district seat.
It is smaller than Jianshui (490,000) and larger than Zaoyang (481,004). 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 1,862 km away; the nearest large city is Panzhihua, 156 km from Xichang.
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 Xichang
Largest cities in China
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Xichang?
Xichang has about 481,796 inhabitants according to the latest official census or estimate compiled by GeoNames. This is the city proper; the metropolitan area is larger.
Is Xichang the capital of China?
No. The capital of China is Beijing (18,960,744 people), about 1,862 km away. Xichang is the 301st largest city of the country and a district seat.
How big is Xichang compared with the rest of China?
Its 481,796 residents are 0% of the 1,411,968,572 people living in China today. Shanghai is larger with 24,874,500 people.
Where is Xichang?
In Sichuan, China, at latitude 27.9 and longitude 102.26, 1,558 m above sea level. Nearby large cities include Panzhihua (156 km), Zhaotong (157 km).
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Cite or link to this page
Glostats. (2026). Xichang Population 2026 — China. Retrieved October 20, 2026, from https://glostats.com/cities/china/xichang/<a href="https://glostats.com/cities/china/xichang/">Xichang 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.