According to the 2020 national census, Chongqing has a population of 32,054,159, accounting for around 2.27% of the national total. This makes it the most populous city proper in the world. , the metropolitan area encompassing the central urban area was estimated by the OECD to have, a population of 17 million.
In 2020, Chongqing surpassed Shanghai as China's largest municipality by urban population. , 70.4% of Chongqing's population is estimated to be urban, and 29.6% rural.