Volume 4,Issue 3
Megacounties and County-Level Modernization in China — Scale Breakthrough, Spatial Concentration and Functional Upgrading
This article examines the rise of China’s “megacounties”, county-level jurisdictions with annual GDP exceeding RMB 100 billion, as a distinctive pathway of county-level modernization. Based on 62 megacounties in 2024 and 77 in 2025, it develops a framework linking scale capacity, spatial concentration, industrial organization, urban-rural integration and adaptive governance. The evidence shows that megacounties have moved from isolated breakthroughs by a few leading counties to a tiered system of head leaders, strong middle performers and newly emerging counties. In 2025, they generated 8.9% of the national GDP on only 1.6% of China’s land area. Their rise reflects not merely a GDP threshold, but the combined effects of rooted industries, development platforms, market connectivity, county-town functions and governance capacity. The paper argues that the next stage should shift from scale competition to functional upgrading, with greater emphasis on industrial resilience, public services, risk governance and inclusive prosperity.
[1] Xi J, 2022, Hold High the Great Banner of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics and Strive in Unity to Build a Modern Socialist Country in All Respects. People’s Publishing House, Beijing.
[2] CPC Central Committee, 2024, Decision on Further Comprehensively Deepening Reform and Advancing Chinese Modernization. People’s Daily, Beijing.
[3] CPC Central Committee, 2025, Proposals for Formulating the Fifteenth Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development. People’s Daily, Beijing.
[4] State Council of China, 2025, Report on the Work of the Government. People’s Publishing House, Beijing.
[5] State Council of China, 2024, Five-Year Action Plan for In-depth Implementation of the People-Centered New Urbanization Strategy, visited on January 20, 2026, https://www.mee.gov.cn/zcwj/gwywj/202408/t20240801_1083101.shtml.
[6] General Office of the CPC Central Committee and General Office of the State Council, 2022, Opinions on Promoting Urbanization with County Towns as Important Carriers, visited on January 20, 2026, https://www.gov.cn/gongbao/content/2022/content_5690990.htm.
[7] National Bureau of Statistics of China, 2025, Statistical Communique of the People’s Republic of China on the 2024 National Economic and Social Development, visited on January 20, 2026, https://www.stats.gov.cn/english/PressRelease/202502/t20250228_1958822.html?mc_cid=7e97a14c2a&mc_eid=77d40056e1.
[8] Department of Rural Socioeconomic Survey, National Bureau of Statistics of China, 2024, China County Statistical Yearbook 2024. China Statistics Press, Beijing.
[9] China Academy of Information and Communications Technology, 2025, Development Report on County-Level Industrial Economy 2024, visited on January 20, 2026, https://www.ahchanye.com/cyxt/53176.html.
[10] County-level Governments, 2025, 2024 Statistical Communiques and Public Government Materials of Relevant Counties, County-level Cities and Banners, visited on January 20, 2026, https://www.szwq.gov.cn/.
[11] County-level Governments, 2026, 2025 Statistical Communiques and Public Government Materials of Relevant Counties, County-level Cities and Banners, visited on January 20, 2026, https://www.sxx.gov.cn/zwgk/public/1841/64987686.html.
[12] Yang W, Yang X, 2026, Strengthening County-Level Economies to Promote Urban-Rural Integration. Macroeconomic Management, (4): 59–65.
[13] Zhu Y, Hu N, Ma P, et al., 2024, Coordinating County-Level Urban-Rural Integration: Theoretical Connotations, Practical Paths and Policy Suggestions. Issues in Agricultural Economy, (2): 98–108.
[14] Lu D, 1989, Spatial Structure Theory and Regional Development. Science, (2): 108–111 + 159.
[15] CPC Central Committee and State Council, 2019, Opinions on Establishing and Improving Institutions, Mechanisms and Policy Systems for Integrated Urban-Rural Development. visited on January 20, 2026, https://www.gov.cn/zhengce/2019-05/05/content_5388880.htm.