China Q3 GDP rises 4.5% as exports offset property slump
What's new: September retail sales rose 1.1% and industrial output 5.5%, while growth through September reached 4.6%.
China's economy grew 4.5% in the third quarter from a year earlier, beating forecasts and quickening from 4.3% in the prior quarter as strong exports and factory output outweighed weak consumer demand and a worsening property downturn. Data from the National Bureau of Statistics showed September retail sales rose 1.1% from a year earlier, up from 0.4% in August, while industrial output increased 5.5%, the fastest pace in six months. For the first nine months of 2026, GDP growth reached 4.6%, keeping Beijing within its 4.5% to 5.0% annual target range. But the recovery remained uneven: fixed-asset investment fell 7.2% in January through September, and real estate development investment dropped 20.6%.