Head to head · 2025
Qingdao vs Xiamen
The two coastal tier-2 cities brands usually shortlist against each other.
Qingdao leads by 1.4 points. The gap comes mostly from market scale (35.6 points).
| Metric | Qingdao | Xiamen |
|---|---|---|
| Entry index0–100, relative to the scored set | 59.0 | 57.6 |
| Rankof 51 scored cities | #14 | #15 |
| Digital reach | 52.9 | 70.7 |
| Consumer depth | 66.7 | 74.0 |
| Market scale | 74.4 | 38.8 |
| Policy access | 30.0 | 30.0 |
| Population | 10.3M | 5.3M |
| GDP | $235B | $126B |
| GDP per resident | ¥161.5k | ¥168.5k |
| Disposable incomeurban residents, per year | ¥58.0k | ¥67.0k |
| Real GDP growth | 6% | 6% |
| WeChat penetration% of internet users | 93% | 95% |
| Douyin penetration% of internet users | 80% | 78% |
| Xiaohongshu penetration% of internet users | 42% | 50% |
Where the scores separate
- Market scale: Qingdao leads Xiamen by 35.6 points (74.4 against 38.8).
- Digital reach: Xiamen leads Qingdao by 17.8 points (70.7 against 52.9).
- Consumer depth: Xiamen leads Qingdao by 7.3 points (74.0 against 66.7).
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.
Qingdao 青岛
Shandong · T1_5 · east
Key industries
Home appliances (Haie… · Beer (Tsingtao) · Port & shipping · Marine economy
Commercial districts
May Fourth Square, Qingdao MixC, Zhongshan Road, Laoshan district.
Consumption profile
Coastal lifestyle city with strong beer culture and German heritage. North China's most attractive coastal consumer market.
Full Qingdao profile →Xiamen 厦门
Fujian · T1_5 · east
Key industries
Cross-border e-commer… · Tourism · Software & IT · Port & shipping
Commercial districts
Zhongshan Road, Xiamen SM City, Wuyuan Bay, Gulangyu (tourism).
Consumption profile
Island city with the most trend-conscious young consumers in Fujian. Strong Xiaohongshu culture and 'small fresh' (小清新) aesthetic.
Full Xiamen profile →Questions people ask
- Is Qingdao or Xiamen the better first city for a brand?
- Qingdao scores 59.0 and Xiamen scores 57.6 on the YIVA China City Entry Index, out of a 51-city set. Qingdao 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, Qingdao or Xiamen?
- By gross regional product, Qingdao is larger ($235B against $126B) and has a population of 10.3M versus 5.3M for Xiamen. 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. “Qingdao vs Xiamen: China City Entry Index comparison.” YIVA Digital, 2025. https://yivadigital.com/tool/china-market-guide/compare/qingdao-vs-xiamen
Scores are relative to the published city set in this release and are not comparable across releases.