Which city is the largest in China by population?

• A. Beijing
• B. Chongqing
• C. Shanghai
• D. Guangzhou

Answer: (C)

Understanding how city population is counted helps explain why Shanghai is the largest by population in this context. When we say the largest city, we usually mean the number of people living within the city’s official boundaries (the city proper), not the wider metropolitan area or the entire municipal region.

Shanghai has the highest population within its city limits, with about 24–25 million residents. Beijing and Guangzhou have smaller city-proper populations. Chongqing often shows a much larger total population, but that figure includes the entire municipal area, which covers many rural districts beyond the urban core. So by the common definition of “city proper,” Shanghai holds the top spot.