By the end of 2008, the permanent population in Dalian totalled 6.13 million, 5.8337 million of whom were registered residents, an increase of 51,800 since 2007. The non-agricultural population totalled 3.4783 million, accounting for 59.6% of the total population, while the agricultural population amounted to 2.3554 million, taking up 40.4%.

Among all the coastal cities, Dalian places second in higher education and scientific research. There are 23 colleges and universities in Dalian and more than 300 training institutions. In addition, there are more than 700 research institutions for the natural sciences, including CAS (the Chinese Academy of Science) and research institutions at the state level, with more than 2.15 million research specialists.

The Competitiveness of Human Resources in 6 Cities

Source: On Talent Development in China, China Social Sciences Documentation Publishing House, December 2005