Xiangzhou District, Zhuhai

After a short-period of decline in 2012, Zhuhai’s GDP not only recovered but led Guangdong Province in growth rate last year with more than 200 billion yuan ($29 billion). 

Statistics show that Zhuhai’s per capita GDP exceeded $20,000 last year, ranking third in Guangdong. In the first three quarters of this year, most of its economic indicators grew faster than the whole province. For example, the city GDP growth rate was 8.5 percent -- 1.2 percentage points higher than the province, which ranks it second next to Shenzhen.

The GDP aggregate increased from 141 billion yuan ($20 billion) in 2011 to an estimated 221.5 billion yuan ($32 billion) this year, with average annual growth of 9.4 percent. 

Chimelong International Tourist Resort contributes to GDP growth. [File photo]

Industrial value added of enterprises above designated size increased from 67.55 billion yuan ($10 billion) in 2011 to 103 billion yuan ($15 billion) this year, with an average annual growth of 8.8 percent. 

The progressively expanding industrial scale allows an estimated 100 billion yuan ($14.5 billion) this year. A batch of star enterprises such as Meizu, Livzon, and By-Health have become new growth poles of Zhuhai, leading industry development to a high-end level. 

Fixed-asset investment has grown to 143.6 billion yuan ($21 billion) in 2016 from 63.74 billion yuan ($9 billion) in 2011, up 18.9 percent annually on average. It has realized leapfrog development with top growth rates in the Pearl River Delta from 2011 to 2014 driven by infrastructure, and industrial and real estate investments in such major projects as the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, Hengqin Free Trade Zone, and Gaolan Port deep-sea power generation. 

Total retail sales of consumer goods rose with an average annual rate of 12.5 percent from 63.5 billion yuan ($9 billion) in 2011 to 101.5 billion yuan ($15 billion) this year. The consumer market scale has increased with successive operation of urban consumption brands such as Hengqin Chimelong International Tourist Resort, Shizimen Central Business District, and Huafa Mall. 

Foreign trade export grew from $24 billion in 2011 to $29 billion this year, increasing by 4 percent annually on average. Encouragement policies have improved the foreign trade export picture, but processing trade exports were still sluggish.  

General public revenue has developed with an average annual growth rate of 16.6 percent from 14.34 billion yuan ($2 billion) in 2011 to 28.63 billion yuan ($4 billion) this year. The rapid growth in fiscal revenue was accompanied by improved product quality. 

Moreover, the income of urban and rural residents increased steadily. In 2015, per capita disposable income of urban and rural inhabitants reached 38,322 yuan ($5,517) and 20,510 yuan ($2,953) respectively last year with average annual growth rates of 11.2 percent and 12.5 percent.