Guangdong Leads China with Over 20 Million Market Entities

Shenzhen, Guangdong – Guangdong province in South China showcases strong economic vitality with over 20 million registered market entities, solidifying its status as the country’s market leader. The provincial capital, Guangzhou, contributes significantly to this figure, hosting 4.22 million active market entities, a 16 percent increase from last year.

This growth positions Guangzhou as the second-largest city in China by the number of market entities. The city’s development is particularly pronounced in strategic and emerging industries. For instance, new registrations in the low-altitude economy and aerospace sectors surged by 161.7 percent. Meanwhile, artificial intelligence registrations grew by 109 percent, and fashion consumer goods saw a rise of 100.9 percent, according to data from the Guangzhou Market Supervision Bureau.

Moreover, future industries are thriving, with registrations in future networks and quantum technology jumping by 243.4 percent. The deep-sea and aerospace sectors grew by 160.2 percent, while intelligent unmanned systems registrations increased by 122.5 percent.

Shenzhen, another crucial city in Guangdong, has also made strides, reporting nearly 4.6 million registered business entities as of September 2025. This marks a 5.3 percent increase, allowing Shenzhen to maintain its leading position nationally, according to the city’s market supervision bureau.

Guangdong’s total market entities reached approximately 20.02 million by early September 2025, with a net increase of 953,100 since the end of 2024. This represents a 5 percent growth and accounts for one-tenth of China’s total market entities.

The province now has over 9 million registered enterprises, with a business-to-individual ratio of 0.83:1, which reflects economic organization and modernization. Lin Jiang, an economics professor at Sun Yat-sen University’s Lingnan College, stated, ‘This reflects the quality behind the 20 million entities. As we reach this scale, focusing on the quality of market entities is crucial for Guangdong’s future development.’