China’s economy grew 4.5% in the third quarter
Official figures show stronger exports and manufacturing alongside continuing weakness in property and domestic demand.
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China's economy expanded by 4.5% year on year in the third quarter of 2026, according to the National Bureau of Statistics. The official figures point to strong industrial and export activity but a less convincing domestic recovery.
The third-quarter growth rate was higher than the 4.3% recorded in the second quarter, but below the 5% rate reported for the first quarter. The statistics bureau said gross domestic product also rose by 1.2% from the previous quarter.
Manufacturing and technology-related activity were among the stronger parts of the release. Industrial output at larger firms rose by 5.3% in the first nine months of the year, while manufacturing value added increased by 5.7%.
Trade was another important support. The statistics bureau said exports of mechanical and electrical products rose by 23.7% in September, while the total value of imports and exports increased by 27.5% year on year that month.
Domestic demand remained more subdued. Retail sales of consumer goods rose by 1.1% in the first three quarters, while fixed-asset investment excluding rural households fell by 7.2%. The official figures also showed weakness in property investment.
The data suggest that China's growth is being supported by industrial capacity and overseas sales while households and the property sector remain under pressure. The figures come from China's national statistics agency, and comparisons with other economies should take account of differences in methodology and official reporting.
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The article uses the official release for all numerical claims and the Associated Press for independent context. It distinguishes measured figures from interpretation and does not treat the official data as a complete explanation of the economy.
- confirmed China's GDP grew 4.5% year on year in the third quarter of 2026. — Reported by the National Bureau of Statistics. source
- confirmed Industrial output at larger firms rose 5.3% in the first three quarters. — Figure in the official release. source
- confirmed Fixed-asset investment excluding rural households fell 7.2%. — Figure in the official release. source
- confirmed Exports and industrial activity were important supports for growth. — Supported by the reported export and manufacturing figures, with interpretation stated cautiously. source
Editor's note
The growth, industrial, trade, retail and investment figures come from China's National Bureau of Statistics. Interpretation of the data is necessarily cautious because the figures are official and the release does not independently establish the causes of each trend.Sources
- National Economy was Generally Stable with New Achievement Made in High-Quality Development in the First Three Quarters — National Bureau of Statistics of China
- China's economy accelerates on robust exports as domestic weakness persists — Associated Press
More on this in other media
- Sky News — „china gdp”
- BBC News — „china gdp”
- The Guardian — „china gdp”