Head to head · 2025
Sanya vs Haikou
Both carry the same Hainan policy package; Sanya converts it with a tenth of Haikou's population.
Sanya leads by 4.0 points. The gap comes mostly from digital reach (17.0 points).
| Metric | Sanya | Haikou |
|---|---|---|
| Entry index0–100, relative to the scored set | 34.6 | 30.6 |
| Rankof 51 scored cities | #36 | #38 |
| Digital reach | 66.5 | 49.5 |
| Consumer depth | 16.5 | 17.8 |
| Market scale | 0.0 | 2.8 |
| Policy access | 65.0 | 65.0 |
| Population | 1.1M | 3.0M |
| GDP | $13B | $36B |
| GDP per resident | ¥84.5k | ¥85.4k |
| Disposable incomeurban residents, per year | ¥42.0k | ¥45.0k |
| Real GDP growth | 5% | 4% |
| WeChat penetration% of internet users | 93% | 93% |
| Douyin penetration% of internet users | 84% | 79% |
| Xiaohongshu penetration% of internet users | 55% | 40% |
Where the scores separate
- Digital reach: Sanya leads Haikou by 17.0 points (66.5 against 49.5).
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.
Sanya 三亚
Hainan · T3 · south
Key industries
Duty-free retail · Tourism & hospitality · MICE & conferences · Marine economy
Commercial districts
Haitang Bay (luxury resorts), Sanya CBD (Jiefang Road), Atlantis & duty-free complex, Yalong Bay.
Consumption profile
Hainan's luxury resort capital and a top duty-free destination - Chinese travellers buy beauty, luxury and watches here tax-free. Highest Xiaohongshu intensity of any tier-3 city.
Full Sanya profile →Haikou 海口
Hainan · T2 · south
Key industries
Duty-free retail · Tourism · Healthcare & wellness · Tropical agriculture
Commercial districts
Haikou Riyue Plaza (duty-free), Guomao CBD, Qilou Old Street.
Consumption profile
Duty-free shopping capital — luxury and beauty brands sell via Hainan duty-free channels to mainland visitors.
Full Haikou profile →Questions people ask
- Is Sanya or Haikou the better first city for a brand?
- Sanya scores 34.6 and Haikou scores 30.6 on the YIVA China City Entry Index, out of a 51-city set. Sanya 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, Sanya or Haikou?
- By gross regional product, Haikou is larger ($36B against $13B) and has a population of 1.1M versus 3.0M for Sanya. 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. “Sanya vs Haikou: China City Entry Index comparison.” YIVA Digital, 2025. https://yivadigital.com/tool/china-market-guide/compare/sanya-vs-haikou
Scores are relative to the published city set in this release and are not comparable across releases.