CCID Consulting, a subsidiary institute under the China Center for Information Industry Development, released the list of 2024 Top 100 Cities in Digital Economy on Nov 27. Taiyuan, capital of North China's Shanxi province, secured the 35th spot, becoming the only city in the province to make the list.

The evaluation was based on a comprehensive analysis of 337 cities nationwide, considering factors such as digital industrialization, industrial digitalization, digital economic development, and data value realization.

In recent years, Taiyuan has accelerated the development of its digital industry ecosystem, fostering a cluster of digital industries, promoting the integration of digital technologies across various sectors, and empowering high-quality development across the city.

In 2023, core companies engaged in the digital economy industry earned an operating income of 254.57 billion yuan ($34.89 billion), with an added value of 38.4 billion yuan, accounting for 6.9 percent of the city's GDP.

By the end of 2023, the city had established 16,286 5G base stations, leading the nation in terms of the quality and speed of 5G construction. The National Supercomputing Center in Taiyuan was also established, while Taiyuan's national-level internet backbone direct access point was opened.

The assessment results revealed that traditional economic powerhouses such as Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen continue to lead the pack, while cities like Baotou, Anqing, and Yibin appeared for the first time, underscoring the broad impact and potential of the digital economy.