There are 6 counties in the country with a GDP exceeding 300 billion, and Jiangyin in Jiangsu leads the number of listed companies among the top 100 counties

With the development of our country's economy, the county economy is also continuously growing, and last year several economically strong counties achieved new breakthroughs. According to statistics from Yicai, there are currently 6 counties with a GDP exceeding 300 billion yuan, namely the "Four Little Dragons of Southern Jiangsu" (Kunshan, Jiangyin, Zhangjiagang, and Changshu in Jiangsu), as well as Jinjiang in Fujian and Cixi in Zhejiang. Among them, Kunshan remains the leader in county-level economies. By 2025, Kunshan is expected to achieve a regional GDP of 561.534 billion yuan, with a year-on-year growth rate of 5.8%, maintaining a stable position above 500 billion yuan for four consecutive years and ranking first in the national comprehensive strength of counties and cities for 22 consecutive years. According to media reports, industry is the core pillar of Kunshan's economy, with the total industrial output value of enterprises above designated size expected to exceed 1.3 trillion yuan by 2025, a year-on-year increase of 4.9%, leading both in total and incremental output in Suzhou, accounting for 26.6% of Suzhou's total. The city, which has over 35,000 industrial enterprises, has cultivated two core clusters worth 800 billion yuan in electronic information and 300 billion yuan in equipment manufacturing, establishing a "2+3+3" emerging industry system—dominated by the new generation of electronic information and high-end equipment manufacturing, focusing on three emerging tracks: intelligent connected vehicles, embodied intelligence, and low-altitude aircraft, while nurturing multiple characteristic industrial clusters such as high-end food, fashion creativity, and consumer healthcare. Jiangyin is expected to achieve a regional GDP of 527.218 billion yuan by 2025, with a gap of over 30 billion yuan compared to Kunshan. On February 24 of this year, Shenghe Jingwei Semiconductor (Jiangyin) Co., Ltd. passed the review meeting of the Shanghai Stock Exchange's Science and Technology Innovation Board, becoming the first company to be approved after the Lunar New Year in 2026. As a result, Jiangyin now has 66 listed companies both domestically and internationally, leading in the number of listed companies among counties. Located in the Minnan region, Jinjiang is expected to reach a GDP of 386.18 billion yuan by 2025, maintaining a position among the top three counties in the country in terms of economic scale. This county-level city, with an area of only 649 square kilometers, does not have superior resource endowments or economic foundations, but it pioneered a path of rural industrialization that aligns with reality during the reform and opening-up, creating the renowned "Jinjiang Model," which has nurtured over 50 listed companies such as Anta, Hengan, and Qipilang, with the private economy accounting for 97%. Jinjiang is known as "China's Shoe Capital," where a series of well-known sports brands such as Anta, 361°, Xtep, and Hongxing Erke have emerged in the footwear sector. In the clothing industry, Jinjiang boasts well-known brands such as Qipilang, Qipai, Jinba, and Jiumuwang, as well as leading companies in daily paper products like Hengan. Currently, there are 6 counties in the country with a GDP exceeding 300 billion yuan, an increase of 1 from the previous year, namely Cixi from Zhejiang. Last year, Cixi achieved a GDP of 301.387 billion yuan, becoming the first county in Zhejiang Province to surpass a GDP of 300 billion yuan. As the top county in terms of economic scale in Zhejiang, the home appliance industry is Cixi's largest pillar industry and traditional competitive advantage Many small household appliances that are globally popular are "made in Cixi." In addition, Yiwu is expected to achieve a regional GDP of 269.33 billion yuan by 2025, representing a 7.9% increase from the previous year at constant prices. From the perspective of the hundred-billion county lineup, there was significant expansion last year, with multiple counties entering the ranks of GDP hundred-billion counties. According to statistics from Yicai, there are currently over 70 hundred-billion counties in China. Among them, the number of hundred-billion counties in the central and western regions is increasing, becoming a major highlight of county economic development. The "Suggestions of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on Formulating the 15th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development" mentions the development of distinctive county economies. County characteristic industries are key to supporting county economic development. In Hubei, in recent years, the province has supported various counties to strive for advancement, to grow and refine characteristic industries, focusing on developing block economies, and establishing a development pattern of "one county, one product" and "one industry, one product." Characteristic industries such as new energy materials in Yidu, textiles and clothing in Hanchuan, non-woven fabrics in Xiantao, and advanced metal materials in Daye are rapidly emerging in Hubei. In Anhui, in July last year, the Anhui Provincial Development and Reform Commission, the Provincial Department of Industry and Information Technology, the Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, and the Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism jointly issued "Several Measures to Further Promote the Development of County Characteristic Industry Clusters." These measures can be described as "full lifecycle + full chain" policy support, covering technology, talent, finance, and brand building, benchmarking against the advanced experiences of Shanghai, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang, and providing 12 targeted and practical specific measures. Niu Fengrui, director of the Small and Medium Cities Research Institute, analyzed for Yicai that the development of county economies should start from local realities, choosing the most advantageous or comparatively advantageous industries. There is a division of labor between different counties, as well as between counties and central cities. (This article is from Yicai)