Shanghai vs Shenzhen
Shanghai leads Shenzhen by 1 points on the CIRA Index, 73 to 72. Shanghai grades better on 6 measures, Shenzhen on 3; the same 35 measures from public sources for both.
Scores by each organisation's criteria
- CIRA Index: Shanghai 73, Shenzhen 72
- OECD: Shanghai 66, Shenzhen 64
- UN Tourism: Shanghai 74, Shenzhen 73
- UNDRR: Shanghai 60, Shenzhen 61
Theme by theme
- Demand and seasonality: Shanghai 80, Shenzhen 55
- Economy and jobs: Shanghai 75, Shenzhen 92
- Climate and hazards: Shanghai 35, Shenzhen 45
- Water and environment: Shanghai 63, Shenzhen 69
- Community and housing: Shanghai 100, Shenzhen 100
- Access and continuity: Shanghai 71, Shenzhen 63
Where Shanghai is stronger
- Largest foreign market: 9.7 % of international arrivals or nights (State Council Information Office / Shanghai Municipal Administration of Culture and Tourism, 2025). At or below 15: grade 4/4.
- Hotel bed or room occupancy: 66 % average annual occupancy (Shanghai Municipal Administration of Culture and Tourism (via International Travel & Health Insurance Journal), 2025). Between 65 and 75: grade 3/4.
- Wastewater safely treated: 99 % of domestic wastewater safely treated (Shanghai Water Authority (上海市水务局), 《上海市水系统治理“十五五”规划》 (July 2026), 2025). At or above 95: grade 4/4.
- Municipal waste per resident: 391.9 kg per resident per year (Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Statistics, Shanghai Statistical Communiqué of 2023 National Economic and Social Development, 2023). Between 350 and 450: grade 3/4.
- Early warning and emergency plan: An updated, tested plan that names visitors and tourism operators, with warnings in several languages (China Daily / Shanghai Meteorological Service, 2025). Grade 4/4.
- Tourism crisis and recovery plan: A written destination crisis plan (Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Emergency Management & Shanghai Municipal Administration of Culture and Tourism, 2024). Grade 2/4.
Where Shenzhen is stronger
- Income per head: 51,687 GDP per capita, USD PPP (Shenzhen Municipal Bureau of Statistics, Statistical Communiqué of Shenzhen on the 2024 National Economic and Social Development; World Bank International Comparison Program (WDI), 2024). Between 45,000 and 60,000: grade 3/4.
- Extreme heat days: 2.2 days a year at or above 35°C (last 5 full years) (ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, 2021–2025). At or below 5: grade 4/4.
- Green space: 45.7 % of the urban area that is green or tree-covered (Shenzhen Municipal Bureau of Urban Management and Comprehensive Law Enforcement, 2024 Statistical Analysis Report on Main Indicators, 2024). At or above 40: grade 4/4.
Country context (World Economic Forum)
- China: #8 of 110 in the WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026
- China: #8 of 110 in the WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026
Shanghai in full · Shenzhen in full
The CIRA Index ranking · City vs city · How the index works · CIRA Studio · Put your city in the pilot