How did overseas Chinese from Guangzhou contribute to the city’s population changes after the 1980s?

Following the implementation of economic reforms in the early 1980s, Guangzhou experienced significant demographic shifts. A notable contribution to the city's population changes came from the "overseas Chinese"—individuals who had previously emigrated to Southeast Asia, the United States, Europe, and other regions.1

Since the 1980s, many of these overseas Chinese returned to the area to resettle in and around Guangzhou. This return migration occurred alongside the emergence of a large transient population consisting of workers from other Chinese provinces and abroad who moved to the city to work in factories or other sectors. These combined demographic movements contributed to the city's rapid expansion in all directions, moving beyond the historical constraints of its northern hills and western waterways.12