Guangzhou or Shanghai: which is better?
World city: head-to-head comparison
Guangzhou and Shanghai are even: 0 : 0 across 1 indicators.
- Climate and risks: tie 0:0
All indicators weigh the same. This is a score based on data, not advice on where to live: different people have different circumstances.
Guangzhou
Indicator
Shanghai
Population
no winnerCity population
neutral indicator: higher does not mean better
11,071,424 people
GeoNames snapshot (all-the-cities 3.1.0 package, 2022), exact date not stated
22,315,474 people
GeoNames snapshot (all-the-cities 3.1.0 package, 2022), exact date not stated
Urban centre population
neutral indicator: higher does not mean better
42,987,704 people
2025
30,678,616 people
2025
Urban centre area
neutral indicator: higher does not mean better
6,454 km²
2025
3,128 km²
2025
Urban centre density
neutral indicator: higher does not mean better
6,661 people per km²
2025
9,808 people per km²
2025
Urban centre population growth, 2015–2025
neutral indicator: higher does not mean better
9.8 %
2015–2025
27.2 %
2015–2025
Climate and risks
Tie (0 : 0)Hot days (max ≥ +30 °C)
no data for one of the places
175 days per year
2016-2025
no data
Frost days (min ≤ −10 °C)
no data for one of the places
0 days per year
2016-2025
no data
Severe frost (min ≤ −20 °C)
no data for one of the places
0.0 days per year
2016-2025
no data
Ice days (max ≤ 0 °C)
no data for one of the places
0 days per year
2016-2025
no data
Heating degree days
no data for one of the places
278 °C·days per year
2016-2025
no data
Cooling degree days
no data for one of the places
2,330 °C·days per year
2016-2025
no data
Daylight on December 21
neutral indicator: higher does not mean better
10.7 hours
December 21 and June 21 (does not depend on the year)
10.1 hours
December 21 and June 21 (does not depend on the year)
Daylight on June 21
neutral indicator: higher does not mean better
13.6 hours
December 21 and June 21 (does not depend on the year)
14.2 hours
December 21 and June 21 (does not depend on the year)
Air humidity
no data for one of the places
73 %
2021-2025
no data
Muggy days (dew point ≥ +20 °C)
no data for one of the places
195 days per year
2021-2025
no data
Distance to the sea
neutral indicator: higher does not mean better
21 km
2006-2025
19 km
2006-2025
Earthquakes M4.5+ within 100 km
tie
0.00 per year
2006-2025
0.00 per year
2006-2025
A winner is named only for indicators with a known “better / worse” direction. Population and other neutral indicators are shown without a winner. Outdated and missing values are not counted. Details for each place: Guangzhou, Shanghai.