A total of 12 cities have been identified as the nation's demonstrative cities with well-established social credit system, according to the nation's top economic regulator.

Hangzhou in Zhejiang province is the top-rated city, according to the ranking list published by the National Development and Reform Commission on Tuesday.

The municipal government in Hangzhou published the first municipal five-year plan nationwide for building municipal-level social credit system in 2006, where the plan introduced steps to build a system generating scores for individuals and institutions based on data such as tax filings and driving demerits.

Most cities on the list, such as Nanjing and Xiamen, are located in relatively wealthy and developed provinces.

The commission said these cities have set good examples for others to follow in building municipal social credit websites, blacklist system and related management policies.

The central government is striving to build a nationwide social credit system based upon municipal and provincial-level data, according to the commission.