Head to head · 2025
Chengdu vs Chongqing
Chongqing is the bigger economy; Chengdu has the deeper consumer market.
Chengdu leads by 0.9 points. The gap comes mostly from policy access (35.0 points).
| Metric | Chengdu | Chongqing |
|---|---|---|
| Entry index0–100, relative to the scored set | 69.6 | 68.7 |
| Rankof 51 scored cities | #8 | #9 |
| Digital reach | 76.9 | 65.9 |
| Consumer depth | 54.9 | 40.3 |
| Market scale | 90.4 | 96.4 |
| Policy access | 50.0 | 85.0 |
| Population | 21.4M | 31.9M |
| GDP | $349B | $453B |
| GDP per resident | ¥115.7k | ¥100.9k |
| Disposable incomeurban residents, per year | ¥54.0k | ¥45.2k |
| Real GDP growth | 6% | 6% |
| WeChat penetration% of internet users | 93% | 92% |
| Douyin penetration% of internet users | 84% | 85% |
| Xiaohongshu penetration% of internet users | 48% | 42% |
Where the scores separate
- Policy access: Chongqing leads Chengdu by 35.0 points (85.0 against 50.0).
- Consumer depth: Chengdu leads Chongqing by 14.6 points (54.9 against 40.3).
- Digital reach: Chengdu leads Chongqing by 11.0 points (76.9 against 65.9).
- Market scale: Chongqing leads Chengdu by 6.0 points (96.4 against 90.4).
Pillar scores are percentile ranks inside the published set; policy is scored on an absolute 0–100 scale. A gap under three points should not drive a decision. How the index is built.
Chengdu 成都
Sichuan · T1_5 · southwest
Key industries
F&B & hotpot · Consumer electronics · E-commerce logistics · Aviation & aerospace
Commercial districts
Chunxi Road & Taikoo Li, IFS, Kuanzhai Alley (tourism), Financial City.
Consumption profile
Western China's consumption capital — famous 'leisure economy'. Strong nightlife, F&B and pet economy. Youthful, trend-early-adopter population.
Full Chengdu profile →Chongqing 重庆
Chongqing · T1_5 · southwest
Key industries
Automotive · Electronics assembly · Hotpot & food industry · Logistics (China-Euro…
Commercial districts
Jiefangbei, Guanyinqiao, Jiefangbei CBD, Ciqikou (tourism), Raffles City.
Consumption profile
China's largest city by population. Famous hotpot culture and '8D city' tourism. Rising middle class with value-conscious premium spending.
Full Chongqing profile →Questions people ask
- Is Chengdu or Chongqing the better first city for a brand?
- Chengdu scores 69.6 and Chongqing scores 68.7 on the YIVA China City Entry Index, out of a 51-city set. Chengdu leads overall. The score compares reach, spending power, size and policy access only — it cannot see competition, media cost or whether your category has demand in either city, so treat it as a shortlist filter rather than a verdict.
- Which is bigger, Chengdu or Chongqing?
- By gross regional product, Chongqing is larger ($453B against $349B) and has a population of 21.4M versus 31.9M for Chengdu. Market size is only 25% of the entry index.
- Are these scores comparable with last year's?
- No. Digital reach, consumer depth and market scale are percentile ranks within the published city set, so adding or removing a city moves every score. Compare two cities inside the same release, never across releases.
Other comparisons
Cite this page
YIVA Digital. “Chengdu vs Chongqing: China City Entry Index comparison.” YIVA Digital, 2025. https://yivadigital.com/tool/china-market-guide/compare/chengdu-vs-chongqing
Scores are relative to the published city set in this release and are not comparable across releases.