Lanzhou and Economic Trends

Lanzhou is the capital and largest city of Gansu Province in North-West China. Located along the Yellow River, it is a key regional transportation hub linking connects areas further west to the eastern half of the country. With a population of 4 million and an area of 13,086 square kilometers, it has jurisdiction over five districts and three counties.

Lanzhou is an important industrial city focusing on petrochemicals, nonferrous metals, mechano-electrics, light industries, building materials, pharmaceuticals, food, trade circulation, and energy production. Other main industries include textile mills, rubber processing and fertilizer plants, an oil refinery, machinery, and metallurgical industry.

In 2021, the GDP reached 323 billion RMB, up 6% compared to 2020, while the GDP per capita amounted to 73,800 RMB. The total value of Lanzhou’s international trade reached 15 billion RMB in 2021, with the exports amounting to 11 million RMB and the total value of imports to 4 million RMB.

The Chinese City Tier System consists of a system of tiers used by analysts to classify Chinese cities and rank them in a hierarchy. Cities in different tiers reflect differences in consumer behaviour, income level, population size, consumer sophistication, infrastructure, talent pool, and business opportunity.