The economy in southern Anhui is dominated by industry, while the economy in northern Anhui is dominated by agriculture.

Southern Anhui includes Hefei, Wuhu, Maanshan, Tongling, Anqing and a part of Huangshan City. Northern Anhui includes Hefei, Bengbu, Fuyang, Huainan, Suzhou, Huaibei and Bozhou. There are some differences in geography, culture and economy between southern Anhui and northern Anhui. For example, southern Anhui is bounded by the Yangtze River, adjacent to Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces, and its economy is dominated by industry, while northern Anhui is close to Henan and Shandong provinces, and its economy is dominated by agriculture.