China’s third-quarter growth accelerates to 4.5% as exports surge
publishers 16articles 17first reported 19 Oct, 03:36 UTCdeveloping since 19 Oct · 7 editions
China’s economy grew 4.5% in the third quarter from a year earlier, accelerating from 4.3% in the previous quarter as strong exports and industrial production offset weak domestic demand, official figures showed Monday.
The result exceeded economists’ forecasts. Growth for the first nine months of 2026 reached 4.6%, putting the economy within the government’s annual target range of 4.5% to 5%.
Industrial production rose 5.5% year over year in September, compared with 5.2% in August. Manufacturing output increased 6%, supported by export demand for electronics, artificial intelligence-related equipment and automobiles, according to Duncan Wrigley, chief China economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics. Earlier trade data showed exports climbed by more than a third in September, helped by shipments of AI-related electronics.
Domestic indicators remained considerably weaker. Retail sales rose 1.1% in September, improving from 0.4% in August but trailing factory output. Fixed-asset investment declined 7.2% during the first nine months of the year, while property investment fell 20.6% and infrastructure spending remained subdued.
The figures show export-oriented manufacturing driving headline growth while China’s property sector, investment and consumer spending continue to lag.
HOW THIS STORY WAS MADE
Written from 8 articles, 1 with the publisher's own text; 8 independent newsrooms once syndicated copies count as one; this version written 14 h after the record first saw the story; the editor kept it as written.
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- 16
- Source articles
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- Given to the writer
- 8, 1 with the article's own text
- Independent newsrooms
- 8
- This version written
- 14 h after the record first saw the story
- Second model (editor)
- kept as written
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