‘No work-life balance’: The dwindling youth of Beijing and what it means for China’s capital

That shift fits with Beijing’s official development direction.

According to the city’s official English portal, Beijing has sought to relieve itself of functions non-essential to its role as the national capital, while strengthening its positioning as a national political centre, cultural centre, international exchange hub and scientific innovation hub.

At the national level, China’s State Council approved a plan during the 14th Five-Year Plan period, which ran from 2021 to 2025, calling for an upgraded urbanisation pattern featuring coordinated development among cities of different sizes.

A separate five-year action plan, released in 2024, aims to help more migrant workers settle in cities and raise the share of China’s population living in urban areas to nearly 70 per cent within five years. The rate reached 67 per cent at the end of 2024, according to official figures.

Zhao Litao said Beijing remains attractive to graduates with strong credentials, young professionals in knowledge-intensive sectors, and those seeking careers in government, research, finance, media, culture and technology.

“For others, the opportunity-cost calculation has shifted toward Hangzhou, Chengdu, Suzhou, Wuhan, Xi’an, Hefei and other cities with growing industries and lower settlement pressure,” he said.