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Chengdu

#39 largest metro areaAsia

In China

Metro population
9,135,000
0.110% of world population
Archive estimate
Annual growth
+1.25%
About 313 people a day
Archive estimate
Density
2,482/km²
3,681 km² metro area
City proper
13,568,357
Within the administrative boundary
GeoNames

About Chengdu

With a city-proper population of 13,568,357, Chengdu ranks among China's largest urban centers. The metropolitan area extends to 9,135,000 residents, growing at 1.3% annually. Situated at 499 m elevation on the Asian continent, the city maintains a population density of 2,482 people per km². Chengdu was established around 31 BCE and remains a significant urban settlement after more than two millennia. Two major airports serve the city: Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport (CTU) and Chengdu Tianfu International Airport (TFU), providing domestic and international connectivity.

This summary is AI-generated from the statistics on this page. The figures themselves come from the sources cited beside each value.

Key Facts

Country
China
Continent
Asia
World rank
#39 of 140
Share of country
0.6%
Founded
-31
Elevation
499 m
Coordinates
30.667, 104.067

Airports

Scheduled-service airports within 100 km, nearest first.

  • Chengdu Shuangliu International AirportCTU

    17 km from the city centre

  • Chengdu Tianfu International AirportTFU

    53 km from the city centre

Source: OurAirports, matched by distance.

Compared with the World's Largest Cities

Metropolitan population against the fifteen largest metro areas.

  1. Tokyo37.4M
  2. Delhi32.9M
  3. Shanghai29.2M
  4. São Paulo22.6M
  5. Dhaka22.5M
  6. Mexico City22.3M
  7. Cairo22.2M
  8. Mumbai21.7M
  9. Beijing21.5M
  10. Osaka19M
  11. New York18.9M
  12. Karachi17.1M
  13. Kinshasa17.1M
  14. Chongqing16.9M
  15. Lagos15.9M
  16. Chengdu9.14M
Metro populations are archive estimates; boundaries differ between national statistical agencies.
Chengdu compared with the fifteen largest metropolitan areas
NameMetro population
Tokyo37.4M
Delhi32.9M
Shanghai29.2M
São Paulo22.6M
Dhaka22.5M
Mexico City22.3M
Cairo22.2M
Mumbai21.7M
Beijing21.5M
Osaka19M
New York18.9M
Karachi17.1M
Kinshasa17.1M
Chongqing16.9M
Lagos15.9M
Chengdu9.14M

Population Trend in China

No free source publishes metropolitan population back to 1950, so the parent country's series is shown instead.

0200M400M600M800M1B1.2B1.4B1950197520002025205020752100projected →
This is China's national population, not Chengdu's. The legacy city series this page previously carried was generated by scaling the current figure, so it has been dropped rather than presented as history. Source: UN World Population Prospects 2024.
China population, 1950 to 2100
YearPopulation
1950544,044,358
1960654,802,069
1970823,308,967
1980983,163,542
19901,153,582,724
20001,269,581,175
20101,351,561,514
20201,426,106,093
20301,398,153,832
20401,342,816,657
20501,260,289,093
20601,135,127,191
2070998,784,319
2080870,252,344
2090744,902,836
2100633,368,113

Other Major Cities in China

11 more cities in our dataset.

Nearest Major Cities

Closest cities in our dataset by great-circle distance.

Chengdu Population FAQ

What is the population of Chengdu?

Chengdu's metropolitan area has about 9,135,000 people, making it the 39th largest metro area in our dataset of 140 major cities.

What is the difference between Chengdu's city and metro population?

About 13,568,357 people live within the city proper, while the wider metropolitan area holds roughly 9,135,000. Metro figures include surrounding commuter areas that fall outside the city's administrative boundary.

Is Chengdu growing or shrinking?

Chengdu is growing at +1.25% a year.

What share of China's population lives in Chengdu?

Chengdu's metro area holds about 0.6% of China's total population.

How densely populated is Chengdu?

Chengdu has roughly 2,482 people per km² across a metro area of about 3,681 km².

Which airports serve Chengdu?

The nearest major airports are Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport (CTU), Chengdu Tianfu International Airport (TFU).

Which country is Chengdu in?

Chengdu is in China, in Asia.

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