From 1978 to 2021, the absolute disparity in China has been expanding, while the relative disparity has experienced four stages: first narrowing, then widening, then narrowing and basically stable. The disparity between the East and the West has always been greater than that between the North and the South. The turned North-South disparity since 2013 needs to be taken seriously. The regional disparity is the result of multiple factors in China, including resource endowment, regional strategies and policies, factor flow, market demand, marketization level and cultural traditions. In the future, China requires precise regional policies to regulate regional disparities.