Jiuquan lies in the western part of the Hexi Corridor, surrounded by the Altyn Tagh Mountains, Qilianshan Mountains, and Mazong Mountain (Northern Mountain).

According to the municipal statistics bureau of Jiuquan, by the end of 2024, the urban resident population of the city reached 710,400, an increase of 11,000 compared to the end of the previous year. The urbanization rate of the resident population reached 68.25 percent — an increase of 1.18 percentage points compared to the previous year.

Jiuquan recorded a regional GDP of 104.17 billion yuan ($14.50 billion) in 2024, marking a year-on-year growth rate of 7.7 percent at constant prices. The growth was driven by strong performance in the industrial sector and the continued expansion of the city's clean energy infrastructure.

The added value of the primary sector reached 14.83 billion yuan, up 7.3 percent. The secondary sector contributed 47.76 billion yuan, with a growth rate of 10.3 percent, while the tertiary sector added 41.58 billion yuan, growing by 5.2 percent.

In 2024, Jiuquan completed 25 new energy projects, adding 6.18 million kilowatts of grid-connected capacity and 3.03 million kilowatt-hours of energy storage. The total installed capacity for renewable energy reached 33.51 million kilowatts.

Modern chemical industries have been expanded and undergone quality upgrades. Mineral resource development continued to yield results, and emerging industries such as aerospace expanded their presence. The pace of new industrialization accelerated, with the industrial sector contributing 48.5 percent to overall economic growth.

In agriculture, the city reported a seed cultivation area of 748,000 mu (about 49,867 hectares) and a vegetable planting area of 673,000 mu. Livestock and poultry stocks and slaughter numbers grew by 13 percent and 20 percent, respectively. Grain was planted on 1.02 million mu, producing 579,000 metric tons. Agricultural scaling, mechanization, and industrialization continued to improve, with primary sector growth ranking first in Gansu for the eighth consecutive quarter.

Logistics development accelerated with the completion of four 10-million-ton logistics parks and coal throughput exceeding 90 million tons. The city's first vegetable exports to Mongolia marked a milestone in trade. Wind turbines, photovoltaic modules, and vegetable seeds were exported to Southeast Asia, Central and Western Asia, Europe, and North America.

Cultural and tourism activities also flourished in 2024. Tourist arrivals and tourism-related spending increased by 30 percent and 26 percent, respectively.