Shenzhen’s Longhua District has secured the 24th place on this year’s China Center for Information Industry Development (CCID) top 100 urban districts list, climbing four places from the 2024 ranking.

The list was released by the CCID Consulting Urban Economy Research Center on Aug. 5, along side an annual survey report on high-quality economics development of China’s urban districts.

Enlisted candidates must meet two thresholds set by CCID: a GDP of over 80 billion yuan and general public budget revenue exceeding 2 billion yuan. Moreover, the list evaluates each urban district’s development performance using 23 indicators across five dimensions—economic strength, growth momentum, endogenous support, regional capacity, and shared development.

Latest data shows that Longhua’s economy continued to surge in the first half of 2025. The district’s GDP reached 156.71 billion yuan, the highest on record for the period. The secondary industry grew by 4.4%, while the tertiary industry rose 7.9%, driving steady and coordinated development across sectors.

Shenzhen North Station International Business District at dawn. File photo

The district’s economic resilience and vitality were evident across key indicators. Industrial production accelerated, driven by high-end manufacturing; the services sector, a cornerstone of the local economy, advanced with higher quality and efficiency; fixed-asset investment continued to optimize, with robust growth in key areas; and consumer demand was fully unleashed. 

At the same time, new technologies, products, and business models continued to emerge, highlighting a clear shift toward higher-quality development.

In the first half of 2025, the district’s industrial added value grew 5%, while output from enterprises above designated size expanded 4.4% to 311.18 billion yuan—both record highs. Advanced and high-tech manufacturing accounted for over 70% of industrial added value above designated size.

High-tech manufacturing contributed 75% of industrial output above designated size. Key products in high-tech fields saw rapid expansion, with production of integrated circuits, industrial robots and 3D printing equipment jumping 33.3%, 26.9% and 24.9% respectively.

Investment promotion has injected strong momentum into Longhua’s economy, driving cross-regional high-quality growth. In the first half of 2025, the district hosted or participated in more than 60 investment events at home and abroad. Delegations visited countries including Greece, Portugal, Poland, Hungary, Serbia, and Romania, as well as major Chinese cities such as Chongqing, Chengdu, Hefei, Harbin, and Changchun. These efforts connected Longhua with over 300 enterprises and institutions, including Fortune Global 500 and China’s Top 500 companies, resulting in 173 high-quality projects with a total registered capital exceeding 14.5 billion yuan.

Emerging industries such as the low-altitude economy and international fashion have taken root in Longhua, fostering new-quality production forces. Highlight projects included the launch of the Shenzhen (Longhua)-Milan Fashion and Trade Cooperation Office and the establishment of 22 new low-altitude economy firms, which garnered a 14% growth in relevant sectors.

Longhua is also home to over 4,000 national high-tech enterprises, ranking among Shenzhen’s top three for nine consecutive years. The number of “little giant” enterprises specializing in niche and innovative sectors rose to 138, while applications for various innovation categories also surged—17 new national-level little giants (third in Shenzhen), 268 new specialized and innovative SMEs (second in Shenzhen), and 1,054 new startup applications (first in Shenzhen).