China's Most Populous Province Is Going to "Compete for Talent" Again

Questioning AI · Guangdong’s population has already surpassed others, so why is there still a need to attract highly educated talents?

Text | Kaifeng

From east to west, north to south, development has reached Guangdong.

Just now, the 2026 “Million Talents Gathering in Southern Guangdong” campaign was launched, marking Guangdong’s second consecutive year of comprehensive talent recruitment.

Following last year’s intake of over 1.1 million college students, Guangdong announced it will attract more than 1 million college students this year to start businesses and find jobs in Guangdong.

The Ministry of Education states that this year, the number of college graduates nationwide is expected to reach 12.7 million, setting a new record.

The “Million Talents Gathering in Southern Guangdong” means that more than 1 in 10 college graduates choose Guangdong.

This is the responsibility of a major economic province to shoulder employment, and it is also the confidence behind “always striving to be number one.”

01

The peacock still flies southeast.

Recently, various provinces have released population data, with Guangdong’s permanent population reaching 129 million, ranking first for 19 consecutive years.

Leading not only in total numbers but also in growth. Last year, Guangdong added 790,000 people, the highest among major provinces, with growth reversing the trend from the previous year.

It’s important to note that nationwide, the total population decreased by 3.39 million last year, with most provinces experiencing negative growth. Guangdong, however, did not decline but increased, highlighting its growing population attractiveness.

Some believe that Guangdong’s high population growth mainly stems from the contribution of “the most willing to have children.”

As China’s largest province for childbirth, Guangdong has had over one million births for eight consecutive years, a unique record nationwide.

In fact, natural growth is an important support, but net population inflow is the main source of contribution.

Last year, Guangdong’s net population increase was 790,000, with natural growth (births minus deaths) contributing 290,000, and net inflow reaching as high as 500,000.

Net population inflow is not just a short-term result but a continuous long-term trend over more than 40 years. The “peacock flying southeast” has never stopped.

Data shows that Guangdong’s migrant population approaches 30 million, not including those who have already settled and regard Guangdong as their hometown.

This time, from “peacock flying southeast” to “million talents gathering in Southern Guangdong,” it is not accidental but inevitable.

02

Why does the largest population province still need to “compete” for people?

Guangdong has both the advantage of total population size and a young demographic structure. There is a saying in the industry: “The Pearl River Delta at 20, the Yangtze River Delta at 40.”

However, Guangdong has not simply enjoyed population dividends but is actively transforming these into “talent dividends” by increasing talent density to reshape growth momentum.

The reason is that a new wave of technological revolution and industrial transformation is accelerating breakthroughs, deeply reshaping the global economic landscape, leading to a reshuffle in regional competition.

From integrated circuits to artificial intelligence, from low-altitude economy to commercial spaceflight, from biomedicine to new energy vehicles, the importance of highly educated talents in emerging industries is becoming increasingly prominent.

Meanwhile, the global competition paradigm is shifting from single-product or service-based competition to complex, ecosystem-based competition.

This calls for the coordinated development of manufacturing and service industries and also requires more versatile, highly educated talents to support.

Currently, Guangdong is in a period of energy transformation and a window for “recreating a new Guangdong,” urgently needing talent advantages to consolidate its leading position.

An important background is that Guangdong’s total population and young population are far ahead, but the proportion of highly educated talents still has room for improvement.

Domestically, the Seventh Census data shows that the proportion of the population with a college education in Guangdong is 15.7%, while Beijing and Shanghai exceed 30%, and Jiangsu reaches 18.6%.

Internationally, the higher education population in the Greater Bay Area exceeds 20%, but San Francisco, New York, and Tokyo Bay Areas are all above 40%.

At the same time, with the continuous promotion of the “internal circulation” strategy, population is beginning to flow back to central and western regions, showing signs of bidirectional movement rather than just “peacock flying southeast.”

Whether driven by development needs or the strategic needs of a major country, attracting more college students and building a solid talent base is an essential step.

03

People follow industries; people move to higher places.

In recent years, the “talent war” has been ongoing, but not every place can successfully “win” and retain people.

Looking ahead, what will Guangdong rely on to continue attracting highly educated talents?

The first major support is industry.

Guangdong boasts all 31 major manufacturing categories and 10 trillion-yuan-level industrial clusters, providing the strongest confidence in talent recruitment.

These trillion-yuan industrial clusters cover fields such as new-generation electronic information, advanced materials, smart home appliances, software and information services, automobiles, new energy, and ultra-high-definition video.

In emerging industries, Guangdong’s AI core industry accounts for a quarter of the national total, its digital economy ranks first nationwide, and low-altitude economy leads the country.

No matter the profession or talent, Guangdong offers opportunities for everyone—here, you can support daily life and also pursue poetry and distant dreams.

The second major support is enterprises, especially private enterprises, which are the largest reservoir of employment.

74,000 high-tech enterprises, over 1,200 listed companies, and 18 Fortune 500 companies form the backbone of Guangdong’s talent attraction.

Tech giants like Huawei, Tencent, and BYD are main drivers of innovation. About 88% of Guangdong’s R&D investment comes from enterprises, making them the main force in “industry and technology mutually reinforcing.”

SMEs are the main engine of employment, with over 9.3 million enterprises supporting more than 70 million jobs, far surpassing similarly sized provinces.

Jiangsu, with its steady GDP growth, employs about 50 million people; Shandong, with a population over 100 million, employs about 55 million.

The third support is a business environment that is welcoming and open, with an inclusive society and a pragmatic, innovative development atmosphere—these are the “soft power” to retain talents.

Walking the streets of the Pearl River Delta, you can hear accents from all over the country—Hunan, Guangxi, Jiangxi, Hubei, Henan, Sichuan—everyone who comes here becomes a Guangdong person.

This is a place that never shies away from “making money”—“getting rich” is not an unrespectable goal but a practical pursuit for everyone.

Respect for human nature, respect for the market, and respect for innovation have always been Guangdong’s fundamental development ethos.

Where there are people, there is a future. Retaining young people means keeping the spark of future growth alive, and the hope to “recreate a new Guangdong.”