China reports 4.5% GDP growth in the third quarter

China's economy grew by 4.5% year on year in the third quarter of 2026, according to preliminary National Bureau of Statistics figures published on October 19. Growth accelerated from 4.3% in the second quarter.

Gross domestic product grew by 4.6% over the first nine months. The economy expanded by 1.2% compared with the previous quarter; this measure should not be confused with the year-on-year comparison.

The figures show uneven development. In September, industrial output at the larger enterprises covered by the statistics grew by 5.5% year on year, while retail sales of consumer goods rose by 1.1%.

Fixed-asset investment excluding rural households fell by 7.2% in January–September compared with the same period of 2025. Real-estate development investment declined by 20.6%. The statistics bureau itself identifies insufficient domestic demand as an ongoing challenge.