China's Q3 GDP growth hits 4.5%, topping forecasts
Why it matters: Stronger exports and factory output kept Beijing on track for its 4.5% to 5.0% annual target despite weak property investment.
China's economy grew 4.5% in the third quarter from a year earlier, beating forecasts of 4.4% and accelerating from 4.3% in April through June, official data showed Monday. The National Bureau of Statistics said gross domestic product rose 1.2% from the prior quarter, ahead of expectations for 1.1%. For the first nine months of 2026, growth was 4.6%, within the government's full-year target range of 4.5% to 5.0%. September retail sales rose 1.1%, the fastest pace in six months, while industrial output increased 5.5%. But the recovery remained uneven: property investment fell 20.6% in January through September and infrastructure investment shrank 4.2%, underscoring weak domestic demand even as exports supported growth.