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Data from the State Information Center under the National Development and Reform Commission showed China’s economy continued to improve in the third quarter of 2026, with new growth drivers gaining momentum. Consumer activity continued to recover, with offline consumption payments up 2.6 percent year on year in the third quarter, accelerating by 0.7 percentage points from the second quarter. In September, offline consumption payments increased 3.1 percent from a year earlier, up 0.5 percentage points from August, marking three consecutive months of growth.
The center’s figures indicated that the weight carried by cargo ships departing from and arriving at major Chinese ports rose 43.1 percent and 0.3 percent year on year, respectively, in the third quarter. On investment, the issuance of new special-purpose bonds rose 50.2 percent year on year in September, 43.6 percentage points faster than the August level. The value of contracts awarded for projects related to new infrastructure, including computing power, data and networks, increased 34.2 percent year on year in the third quarter and 50.4 percent year on year last month.
Capital investment in frontier sectors such as artificial intelligence and humanoid robots surged 184.1 percent year on year in the third quarter and 198.7 percent year on year in September, the data showed. Wei Ying, deputy director of the center’s big data development department, said, “Investment in frontier fields such as artificial intelligence has remained strong, supporting current growth while building momentum for the development of new quality productive forces.” The strong performance in these emerging areas comes as authorities seek to foster innovation-driven development.
According to the National Bureau of Statistics, China’s GDP expanded by 4.3 percent in the second quarter of 2026 after 5.0 percent growth in the first quarter. The bureau’s data also placed retail sales of consumer goods at a 1.2 percent increase for the first seven months of the year, with July alone rising 0.6 percent. Fixed-asset investment contracted 6.7 percent during the same period though investment in high-tech industries grew 5.0 percent.
The National Bureau of Statistics reported that the manufacturing purchasing managers’ index stood at 50.1 in September, returning to expansion territory after two months of contraction. Non-manufacturing activity rebounded markedly with its index at 50.2, the highest construction sector reading this year. These readings align with the high-frequency consumption and investment gains in pointing to a firming recovery.
Economists have estimated third-quarter GDP growth at roughly 4.4 percent, a modest uptick that reflects resilience in technology and exports even as property sector weakness persists. A Bangkok Bank assessment noted that household spending remains subdued amid falling property prices and softer labor market conditions. The combination of recent policy measures and the latest indicators suggests authorities are targeting stabilization in domestic demand ahead of the fourth quarter.
