China’s third-quarter growth accelerates to 4.5% on strong exports
publishers 19articles 20first reported 19 Oct, 03:36 UTCdeveloping since 19 Oct · 7 editions
China’s economy grew 4.5% from a year earlier in the third quarter of 2026, accelerating from 4.3% in the previous quarter as strong exports and industrial production offset weak domestic demand, according to official data released Monday.
The expansion exceeded economists’ forecasts and brought growth for the first nine months of the year to 4.6%, within the government’s full-year target range of 4.5% to 5%.
Industrial production increased 5.5% year on year in September, up from 5.2% in August. Manufacturing output rose 6%, supported by overseas demand for electronics, artificial intelligence-related equipment and automobiles. Chinese exports surged by more than a third in September, with AI infrastructure investment helping drive global demand for microchips and data-centre technology.
Domestic activity remained considerably weaker. Retail sales rose 1.1% in September after a 0.4% increase in August, while fixed-asset investment fell 7.2% during the first nine months of the year. Property investment dropped 20.6% over the same period as the country’s housing downturn continued.
Beijing has introduced measures intended to support consumption, including mortgage subsidies for some borrowers and capital injections for state-owned banks, but has not launched large-scale stimulus. Consumers have continued to favor saving over spending, while falling prices and intense competition have pressured corporate profit margins.
HOW THIS STORY WAS MADE
Written from 8 articles, 2 with the publisher's own text; 8 independent newsrooms once syndicated copies count as one; this version written 24 h after the record first saw the story; the editor kept it as written.
- Publishers
- 19
- Source articles
- 20
- Given to the writer
- 8, 2 with the article's own text
- Independent newsrooms
- 8
- This version written
- 24 h after the record first saw the story
- Second model (editor)
- kept as written
- Publication gate
- passed
- Human review
- none
WHAT THE EDITOR DID
The second model checked the writer's draft against the same sources and published it as written.
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