China’s GDP grew 4.6% in the first three quarters of 2026, while services expanded 5.2% and goods trade rose 18.8%.
China’s gross domestic product (GDP) grew 4.6% year on year in the first three quarters of 2026, reaching 107.1 trillion yuan, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
Growth picked up in the third quarter, while services and foreign trade continued to expand. The data highlight the contribution of modern services and technology-related trade to the economy.
GDP Growth Picks Up in Q3
China’s GDP grew 5.0% year on year in the first quarter, 4.3% in the second and 4.5% in the third. Third-quarter growth was 0.2 percentage points higher than in the previous quarter.
The economy recorded an increase of 5.7 trillion yuan in GDP in the first three quarters compared with the same period last year, the largest increase for the period in five years, according to the NBS. Growth in the third quarter came amid external pressures, including higher international oil prices linked to conflict in the Middle East.
Services Take a Larger Share
The services sector grew 5.2% year on year in the first three quarters, outpacing overall GDP growth by 0.6 percentage points. It accounted for 58.7% of GDP and contributed 66.3% of overall economic growth.
Modern services recorded some of the fastest gains. Value added in leasing and business services rose 12.3%, while information transmission, software and information technology services grew 10.4%. These sectors support business operations and the wider digital economy.
Consumer spending on services also outpaced spending on goods. Retail sales of services increased 5.0% year on year, compared with 1.0% growth in retail sales of goods. Accommodation and catering services grew 5.5%.
Services contributed to economic activity across a range of areas, from business support and information technology to accommodation and catering.
Foreign Trade Gains Momentum
China’s total imports and exports of goods reached 39.94 trillion yuan in the first three quarters, up 18.8% year on year, according to the General Administration of Customs (GAC). The growth rate was the fastest for the same period in five years.
Trade growth also accelerated through the year, rising from 15.3% in the first quarter to 18.3% in the second and 22.3% in the third. Exports increased 16.4% to 23.2 trillion yuan, while imports grew 22.3% to 16.74 trillion yuan.
Trade in industrial robots, electronic components, computer parts and electrical equipment exceeded 10 trillion yuan, up 58.9% year on year. Integrated circuit exports also rose sharply, increasing 99.1%.
In September, total goods trade reached 5.16 trillion yuan, up 27.5% year on year. It was the first time monthly trade had exceeded 5 trillion yuan.
Graphic by Di Wang.
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