Guangzhou (JLC), July 15, 2026--China's gross domestic product (GDP) amounted to 69.57 trillion yuan (about 10.24 trillion US dollars) in the first half (H1) of 2026, growing by 4.7% year on year, according to the latest data released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on July 15.
The country’s economy maintained growth in the period, on track to meet the growth target of 4.5-5.0% for 2026.
In the second quarter, the country's GDP rose by 4.3% year on year, slowing down from the growth of 5.0% in the first quarter.
The value added by the primary industry rose by 3.7% year on year to 3.15 trillion yuan in H1; that by the secondary industry increased by 3.9% to 25.05 trillion yuan; and that by the tertiary industry grew by 5.2% to 41.37 trillion yuan.
The country's value-added industrial output - a gauge of activity in the manufacturing, mining, and utilities sectors - expanded by 5.4% year on year in H1.
Retail sales of goods, a key indicator of consumer spending, ascended by 1.3% year on year to 24.87 trillion yuan in H1.
On the contrary, the investment in fixed assets dropped by 5.7% year on year to 22.64 trillion yuan in H1. By sector, the investment in infrastructure construction dropped by 2.4%, that in manufacturing fell by 1.2%, and that in real estate development plunged by 18.0%. By industry, the investment in the primary industry climbed by 0.9%, while that in the secondary and tertiary industries declined by 1.1% and 8.4%, respectively.
The total value of China's imports and exports reached 25.47 trillion yuan in H1, surging by 16.9% from a year earlier. The imports grew by 22.1% to 10.74 trillion yuan in the period, while the exports climbed by 13.4% to 14.73 trillion yuan.
The surveyed urban unemployment rate settled at 5.2% on average in H1, stable year on year, the NBS data also shows.
