Shanghai ranked first in the country by gross domestic product in 2021, followed by Beijing, Shenzhen, Guangzhou and Chongqing.

The GDP of top two cities exceeded 4 trillion yuan ($629.6 billion) for the first time, and Shenzhen also saw its GDP cross 3 trillion yuan.

In 2021, the GDP of the top 100 cities reached 79.8 trillion yuan, accounting for 69.8 percent of the country's total.

Ningde in Fujian province saw its ranking rise 12 spots, primarily driven by four pillar industries - lithium battery, new energy vehicle, stainless steel, and copper material.

Shaanxi province's Yulin jumped 11 spots in GDP ranking to the 46th spot. With the price of raw material surging in recent years, the energy-intensive city recorded rapid development.