BEIJING, Nov. 13 (Xinhua) -- Despite an overall population decline in China since 2022, 11 provincial-level regions have registered growth in the number of permanent residents over the past three years, according to the newly released China Statistical Yearbook 2025.

The yearbook, compiled by the National Bureau of Statistics, shows that Zhejiang, Guangdong, Xinjiang, Hainan, Jiangsu, Anhui, Guizhou, Fujian, Ningxia, Xizang and Hubei saw population increases between 2021 and 2024.

Among them, east China's Zhejiang Province recorded the largest rise, adding 1.3 million people in three years, with all of its prefecture-level cities reporting growth.

Zhejiang's private sector is highly dynamic and provides broad employment opportunities, said Tang Hairu, vice chairman of the provincial urban science research association. He added that the province's balanced regional development and small urban-rural gap have helped sustain steady population growth.

The yearbook also shows that China's population continues to flow into the Yangtze River Delta and the Pearl River Delta, two of the country's most developed regions. Within provinces, people are also moving from smaller towns and rural areas toward core cities.

Among individual cities, Hefei, Guiyang, Hangzhou, Changsha and Zhengzhou, all provincial capitals, recorded the largest population increases over the past three years, with four of them located in central and western China. Hefei of Anhui Province led the list with a gain of 537,000 people, becoming the fourth city in the Yangtze River Delta -- after Shanghai, Suzhou and Hangzhou -- to surpass 10 million residents.

"The development of industries supports population concentration, and changes in industrial layout drive shifts in both the economy and population density," said Lin Fei, a researcher with the Anhui Academy of Social Sciences.

In that sense, Hefei has both improved its existing industries and developed new sectors such as new energy vehicles, photovoltaics and integrated circuits, which offer vast opportunities and attract young talent, Lin added.

Guiyang followed closely with a population increase of 502,000, thanks to provincial strategies focused on strengthening the capital and enhancing talent. The city has recorded net annual population gains exceeding 100,000 for four consecutive years. Enditem