Chengdu is one of the most populous megacities in China, with its permanent resident population surpassing 21.474 million as of 2025. As of 2024, it is recognized as one of only four cities in the country—alongside Chongqing, Shanghai, and Beijing—to have a resident population exceeding 20 million people. According to the official 2020 census, the population was recorded at 20,937,757, which represented a significant 74 percent increase compared to the 2010 census data. Of this total, approximately 16.5 million residents live within the urban area, making Chengdu the primary economic and cultural hub of the Sichuan Province and southwestern China.