How many states are there in China?
Recently, the discussion about China's administrative divisions has become one of the hot topics. Many netizens have questions about the concept of "states" in China: How many states are there in China? This article will give you detailed answers based on the latest data and hot topics.
1. What is “state” in China?

In China's current administrative divisions, "states" are not mainstream administrative units. However, in history, "state" was an important administrative division name, and today there are still some areas that retain the title of "state". The following is the current statistics of administrative divisions named after "states" in China:
| Type | Quantity | Example |
|---|---|---|
| autonomous prefecture | 30 | Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture, Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture |
| Prefecture-level cities include "state" | 12 | Suzhou, Hangzhou, Zhengzhou |
| County-level cities include "state" | 28 | Zhangzhou, Quanzhou, Jingzhou |
2. Correlation of hot topics in the past 10 days
In the hot discussions on the Internet in the past 10 days, the following topics are related to "state":
| hot topics | Relevance | Discussion popularity |
|---|---|---|
| Preparations for the Hangzhou Asian Games | high | ★★★★★ |
| Suzhou Industrial Park Development | in | ★★★☆☆ |
| Liangshan Prefecture Rural Revitalization | high | ★★★★☆ |
3. Detailed distribution of autonomous prefectures
China currently has 30 autonomous prefectures, mainly located in areas inhabited by ethnic minorities. The following are the statistics of autonomous prefectures by ethnic group:
| nation | Quantity | Proportion |
|---|---|---|
| Yi nationality | 6 | 20% |
| Tibetan | 10 | 33.3% |
| Miao/Dong | 5 | 16.7% |
| other ethnic minorities | 9 | 30% |
4. “State” in History and Culture
The ancient Chinese "state" has different meanings from its modern meaning. In the Tang Dynasty, the country was divided into "ten roads"; in the Song Dynasty, there were "road" divisions; in the Ming and Qing dynasties, "provincial" divisions were mainly used. Most of the areas that retain the title of "state" today have profound historical and cultural heritage.
For example:
| historical period | number of states | Famous Prefectures and Counties |
|---|---|---|
| Han Dynasty | 13 | Jizhou, Yanzhou, Qingzhou |
| Tang Dynasty | 300+ | Yangzhou, Yizhou, Jingzhou |
| Song Dynasty | 200+ | Hangzhou, Suzhou, Fuzhou |
5. Economic data of modern “state”-level cities
The following is a comparison of the economic data of some "state"-level cities in 2023:
| city | GDP (100 million yuan) | Population (10,000) | GDP per capita (yuan) |
|---|---|---|---|
| suzhou | 23958 | 1274 | 188053 |
| Hangzhou | 18753 | 1220 | 153713 |
| Zhengzhou | 13600 | 1260 | 107937 |
6. Summary
Taken together, China currently30 autonomous prefectures, and another40 prefecture-level and county-level citiesContains "state" in the name. These regions have their own characteristics in terms of history, culture, economic development and national characteristics. The recent hot topics on the Internet, such as the Hangzhou Asian Games and the development of Suzhou Industrial Park, also reflect the important status of these "state"-level cities in contemporary China.
By discussing the question "How many states are there in China?", we not only understand the specific data of administrative divisions, but also feel the continuity of Chinese history and culture and the diversity of modern development.
check the details
check the details