Nanhu Lake scenic area in Jiaxing, Zhejiang province. [Photo/Tide News]

The permanent population of Jiaxing in East China's Zhejiang province reached 5.608 million by the end of 2024, an increase of 24,000 from the previous year, according to the latest data from the municipal bureau of statistics.

This marks over 40 consecutive years of sustained growth.

Unlike many cities facing natural population decline, Jiaxing's gains come entirely from net migration, offsetting a natural decrease of 1,000 people in 2024. Between 2010 and 2020, the city added nearly 900,000 residents, a 19.98 percent increase, with an annual growth rate of 1.84 percent, significantly outpacing the national average of 0.53 percent.

This demographic momentum is reflected in Jiaxing's robust economy. In 2024, the city's GDP climbed to 756.95 billion yuan ($104.50 billion), up 5.6 percent year-on-year, with 24 of 33 major industrial sectors expanding, driving growth across more than 70 percent of the local economy.

A key driver of this expansion is Jiaxing's growing talent pool. The city now boasts 1.35 million skilled professionals, ranking third in Zhejiang for R&D personnel density, with 249.66 researchers per 10,000 employees. It has also welcomed over 100,000 newly employed university graduates annually for five consecutive years, adding 500,000 young professionals since 2019.