Shenzhen has established itself as China’s premier megacity for commuting efficiency, according to the 2025 Urban Commuting Report released by the China Academy of Urban Planning and Design. The southern technology hub achieved a groundbreaking milestone with 81% of residents completing their one-way commutes within 45 minutes—the first Chinese megacity to surpass the 80% benchmark.
The comprehensive study highlights Shenzhen’s exceptional performance across multiple commuting metrics, including transit duration, travel distance, and public transportation reliability. The city maintains an average one-way commute of just 33 minutes covering approximately 7.9 kilometers, indicating increasingly compact urban development and optimized spatial planning.
Notably, only 11% of Shenzhen commuters endure journeys exceeding 60 minutes—the lowest proportion among China’s megacities. This efficiency is largely attributed to the city’s extensive rail network, with 39% of residents living within 800 meters of metro stations, leading all comparable cities.
By the end of 2025, Shenzhen’s metro system had expanded to 18 lines spanning over 600 kilometers and serving more than 400 stations. The city’s bus network similarly excels, with approximately 60% of bus commuters completing their trips within 45 minutes. This multimodal transportation success demonstrates Shenzhen’s comprehensive approach to urban mobility challenges.