Xi'an ranks 6th among top new first-tier cities in China

Xi'an – capital of Northwest China's Shaanxi province – ranked sixth among the 15 new first-tier cities in China, according to the Ranking of Cities Business Attractiveness in China 2024, released by Shanghai media group Yicai on May 30.

The evaluation was based on five primary criteria: Degree of concentration of commercial resources, urban transport capacity, vitality of the urban population, new economic competitiveness and future potential. In all, it assessed the overall attractiveness of 337 cities at the prefecture level or above.

In terms of the degree of concentration of commercial resources, Xi'an ranked 10th. In 2023, Xi'an saw a continued recovery in its commercial trade and spending, with total retail sales of consumer goods reaching 481.16 billion yuan ($66.47 billion), a 3.7-percent year-on-year increase.

In the field of urban transport capacity, Xi'an ranked sixth. Throughout last year, Xi'an actively leveraged its geographical advantages and hub network, accelerating the layout of its aviation network and enhancing hub functions.

What's more, Xi'an Xianyang International Airport's passenger throughput topped 40 million in 2023, ranking it ninth nationwide.

In the category of the vitality of its urban population, Xi'an placed 11th. In 2023, Xi'an organized a series of consumer promotion activities, offering subsidies for various consumer items such as new energy vehicles, green appliances and e-commerce platforms – stimulating potential spending.

In new economic competitiveness, Xi'an ranked 11th, with its number of technology-based small and medium-sized enterprises exceeding 14,000 and anticipated technology contract turnover set to reach 380 billion yuan.

Elsewhere, in the category of future potential, Xi'an also ranked 11th. The city's overall research and development investment intensity reached 5.23 percent in 2023, ranking it second among sub-provincial cities.

Furthermore, its comprehensive innovation strength is said to rank it at the forefront nationwide – continuing to make it strongly appealing to high-end talent.