Zhuhai City now has 2.44 million permanent residents, an increase of 897,356 or 56.36 percent since 1.56 million in 2010, according to the Guangdong Communiqué of the Seventh National Population Census released May 15.

The growth rate is second in Guangdong Province only to Shenzhen, which rose by 7.14 million people to 17.56 million in 10 years. The population in the province as of the end of 2020 was 126 million -- 21.7 million higher than in 2010 -- a 20.81 percent increase. China's overall population grew 5.38 percent to 1.41 billion from a decade ago.

City of Vigor is evident along Lovers Avenue near Zhuhai Opera House [Photo by Li Jianshu / Guanhai App]

Zhuhai's economic growth, position in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, and preferential policies have helped lure an increasing number of talents in recent years. As a result, the permanent population exceeded 2 million by the end of 2019, growing by 132,600, the fourth fastest in growth rate in Guangdong.

In terms of education, Zhuhai ranks third in Guangdong, with 25,752 people per 100,000 having a college education or above, following Shenzhen and Guangzhou. This is credited to such measures as promoting nine-year compulsory schooling, strengthening basic studies, and developing higher education and adult education over the past ten years. Talent resources are expected to inject more impetus as Zhuhai continues economic restructuring and enhances innovation-driven economic growth.

With deepening Reform & Opening Up policies and economic vitality, the Zhuhai government intends to continue improving population quality along with steady population growth toward a goal of "3 million permanent residents by 2025 and 5 million by 2035."