Divergent Growth Trajectories: An Analysis of New First-Tier and Second-Tier Cities Post-2015

Both new first-tier and second-tier cities have demonstrated notable upward growth trajectories throughout the study period. However, a distinct divergence in growth momentum emerges after 2015. While both categories continued to experience growth, the post-2015 period is marked by a significantly stronger growth trend in new first-tier cities compared to their second-tier counterparts. This disparity in growth has led to a widening gap between the two categories, indicating potentially divergent development paths and raising important questions about the factors driving this trend.