According to the latest statistical data released by the China Bureau of statistics in 2024, in 1972, the city with the largest economic size in China was Shanghai, with a gross domestic product(GDP) of $7.74 billion; the city with the second largest economic size was Beijing, with a GDP of $3.04 billion; the city with the third largest economic size was Tianjin, with a GDP of $2.55 billion; the city with the fourth largest economic size was Chongqing, with a GDP of $1.95 billion, Chengdu ranks fifth in economic scale, with a GDP of $1.1 billion.
| Rank | City | GDP |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shanghai | $7.74 billion |
| 2 | Beijing | $3.04 billion |
| 3 | Tianjin | $2.55 billion |
| 4 | Chongqing | $1.95 billion |
| 5 | Chengdu | $1.1 billion |
| 6 | Changzhou | $0.5 billion |
| 7 | Ganzhou | $0.5 billion |
| 8 | Nanning | $0.5 billion |
| 9 | Huizhou | $0.3 billion |
| 10 | Meizhou | $0.3 billion |
| 11 | Quzhou | $0.3 billion |
| 12 | Jiaozuo | $0.3 billion |
| 13 | Luzhou | $0.3 billion |
| 14 | Sanmenxia | $0.2 billion |