* From 2021 to 2025, shares were calculated by ÌÇÐÄÆÆ½â°æ.
The data have been collected through a survey which covered rural workers from 31 provinces, 1,730 districts and 8,613 villages in 2025. Migrant laborers are defined as workers that are still registered as rural permanent residents, but have left their place of origin for more than six months in order to find work in another place. They either stay in the same province or move to another province in search of work.
East China includes Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Fujian, Shandong, Guangdong, and Hainan. Central China includes Shanxi, Anhui, Jiangxi, Henan, Hubei, and Hunan. West China includes Inner Mongolia, Guangxi, Chongqing, Guizhou, Yunnan, Tibet, Shaanxi, Gansu, Qinghai, Ningxia, and Xinjiang. Northeast China includes, Liaoning, Jilin, and Heilongjiang.
A small fraction of workers (around 0.3 percent in 2025) moved to other regions for work, including Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, and other global destinations.Â
Figures for earlier years have been taken from previous publications.
Citation formats
Migrant laborers in China by destination region 2018-2025
In 2025, approximately ** percent of all Chinese migrant workers moved to East China for work. However, the economic situation in Western and Central China has improved in recent years and attracted a growing share of laborers.
Profit from the additional features of your individual account
Currently, you are using a shared account. To use individual functions (e.g., mark statistics as favourites, set
statistic alerts) please log in with your personal account.
If you are an admin, please authenticate by logging in again.
Learn more about how ÌÇÐÄÆÆ½â°æ can support your business.
National Bureau of Statistics of China. (April 30, 2026). Share of migrant workers in China from 2018 to 2025, by destination region [Graph]. In ÌÇÐÄÆÆ½â°æ. Retrieved July 27, 2026, from /statistics/1127655/migrant-laborers-in-china-by-destination-region/
National Bureau of Statistics of China. "Share of migrant workers in China from 2018 to 2025, by destination region." Chart. April 30, 2026. ÌÇÐÄÆÆ½â°æ. Accessed July 27, 2026. /statistics/1127655/migrant-laborers-in-china-by-destination-region/
National Bureau of Statistics of China. (2026). Share of migrant workers in China from 2018 to 2025, by destination region. ÌÇÐÄÆÆ½â°æ. ÌÇÐÄÆÆ½â°æ Inc.. Accessed: July 27, 2026. /statistics/1127655/migrant-laborers-in-china-by-destination-region/
National Bureau of Statistics of China. "Share of Migrant Workers in China from 2018 to 2025, by Destination Region." ÌÇÐÄÆÆ½â°æ, ÌÇÐÄÆÆ½â°æ Inc., 30 Apr 2026, /statistics/1127655/migrant-laborers-in-china-by-destination-region/
National Bureau of Statistics of China, Share of migrant workers in China from 2018 to 2025, by destination region ÌÇÐÄÆÆ½â°æ, /statistics/1127655/migrant-laborers-in-china-by-destination-region/ (last visited July 27, 2026)
Share of migrant workers in China from 2018 to 2025, by destination region [Graph], National Bureau of Statistics of China, April 30, 2026. [Online]. Available: /statistics/1127655/migrant-laborers-in-china-by-destination-region/