In the first quarter of 2025, the growth of the real gross domestic product (GDP) in China ranged at *** percent compared to the same quarter of the previous year. GDP refers to the total market value of all goods and services that are produced within a country per year. It is an important indicator of the economic strength of a country. Real GDP is adjusted for price changes and is therefore regarded as a key indicator for economic growth. GDP growth in China In 2024, China ranged second among countries with the largest gross domestic product worldwide. Since the introduction of economic reforms in 1978, the country has experienced rapid social and economic development. In 2013, it became the world’s largest trading nation, overtaking the United States. However, per capita GDP in China was still much lower than that of industrialized countries. Until 2011, the annual growth rate of China’s GDP had constantly been above nine percent. However, economic growth has cooled down since and is projected to further slow down gradually in the future. Rising domestic wages and the competitive edge of other Asian and African countries are seen as main reasons for the stuttering in China’s economic engine. One strategy of the Chinese government to overcome this transition is a gradual shift of economic focus from industrial production to services. Challenges to GDP growth Another major challenge lies in the massive environmental pollution that China’s reckless economic growth has caused over the past decades. China’s development has been powered mostly by coal consumption, which resulted in high air pollution. To counteract industrial pollution, further investments in waste management and clean technologies are necessary. In 2017, about **** percent of GDP was spent on pollution control. Surging environmental costs aside, environmental issues could also be a key to industrial transition as China placed major investments in renewable energy and clean tech projects. The consumption of green energy skyrocketed from **** exajoules in 2005 to **** million in 2022.

Vale SA faces financial challenges as Chinese economic issues lead to falling iron ore prices, prompting a strategic pivot in its operations.

The statistic shows the distribution of the workforce across economic sectors in China from 2014 to 2024. In 2024, around 22.2 percent of the workforce were employed in the agricultural sector, 29 percent in the industrial sector and 48.8 percent in the service sector. In 2022, the share of agriculture had increased for the first time in more than two decades, which highlights the difficult situation of the labor market due to the pandemic and economic downturn at the end of the year. Distribution of the workforce in China In 2012, China became the largest exporting country worldwide with an export value of about two trillion U.S. dollars. China’s economic system is largely based on growth and export, with the manufacturing sector being a crucial contributor to the country’s export competitiveness. Economic development was accompanied by a steady rise of labor costs, as well as a significant slowdown in labor force growth. These changes present a serious threat to the era of China as the world’s factory. The share of workforce in agriculture also steadily decreased in China until 2021, while the agricultural gross production value displayed continuous growth, amounting to approximately 7.8 trillion yuan in 2021. Development of the service sector Since 2011, the largest share of China’s labor force has been employed in the service sector. However, compared with developed countries, such as Japan or the United States, where 73 and 79 percent of the work force were active in services in 2023 respectively, the proportion of people working in the tertiary sector in China has been relatively low. The Chinese government aims to continue economic reform by moving from an emphasis on investment to consumption, among other measures. This might lead to a stronger service economy. Meanwhile, the size of the urban middle class in China is growing steadily. A growing number of affluent middle class consumers could promote consumption and help China move towards a balanced economy.

The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in China expanded 5.40 percent in the first quarter of 2025 over the same quarter of the previous year. This dataset provides - China GDP Annual Growth Rate - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

According to preliminary figures, the growth of real gross domestic product (GDP) in China amounted to 5.0 percent in 2024. For 2025, the IMF expects a GDP growth rate of around 3.95 percent. Real GDP growth The current gross domestic product is an important indicator of the economic strength of a country. It refers to the total market value of all goods and services that are produced within a country per year. When analyzing year-on-year changes, the current GDP is adjusted for inflation, thus making it constant. Real GDP growth is regarded as a key indicator for economic growth as it incorporates constant GDP figures. As of 2024, China was among the leading countries with the largest gross domestic product worldwide, second only to the United States which had a GDP volume of almost 29.2 trillion U.S. dollars. The Chinese GDP has shown remarkable growth over the past years. Upon closer examination of the distribution of GDP across economic sectors, a gradual shift from an economy heavily based on industrial production towards an economy focused on services becomes visible, with the service industry outpacing the manufacturing sector in terms of GDP contribution. Key indicator balance of trade Another important indicator for economic assessment is the balance of trade, which measures the relationship between imports and exports of a nation. As an economy heavily reliant on manufacturing and industrial production, China has reached a trade surplus over the last decade, with a total trade balance of around 992 billion U.S. dollars in 2024.

Graph and download economic data for Outstanding Total International Debt Securities to GDP for China (DDDM07CNA156NWDB) from 1987 to 2020 about issues, China, debt, and GDP.

Discover the economic hurdles faced by China's restaurant industry, marked by rising closures, intense competition, and efforts to sustain in a challenging market.

This data package includes the underlying data to replicate the charts presented in Lessons from China's fiscal policy during the COVID-19 pandemic, PIIE Working Paper 24-7.

If you use the data, please cite as: Huang, Tianlei. 2024. Lessons from China's fiscal policy during the COVID-19 pandemic. PIIE Working Paper 24-7. Washington: Peterson Institute for International Economics.

Air pollution poses significant health and economic challenges globally and specifically affecting China. Although air pollution has been associated with decreased productivity and biases in decision-making, its effect on the development of digital finance has received limited attention in the literature. By employing city-level data from China covering the period from 2013 to 2020, this research examines the impact of air pollution on digital finance. The results show that deteriorating air quality has a negligible impact on digitalization, whereas it has a negative impact on financial inclusion, measured by usage and coverage metrics. The negative impact on financial inclusion is more noticeable in economically weaker and less developed urban areas and low R&D than in developed areas and economically robust cities. The mechanism analysis shows that air pollution reduces human capital quality, resulting in a decline in financial inclusivity. These findings have significant policy implications, underscoring the necessity for approaches that simultaneously tackle air pollution and foster financial innovation.

Since the 2011 Financial Sector Assessment Program (FSAP), China’s economic growth has remained strong, although a necessary economic transformation is underway. China now has the world’s largest GDP in PPP terms, and poverty rates have fallen. However, medium-term growth prospects have moderated. The limits to the investment-driven growth strategy, combined with an aging population, waning dividends from past reforms, and a challenging external environment, have necessitated a transformation towards a more market-oriented economy that is more consumption-based, more services-driven, less credit-dependent and, especially, more efficient. This transformation has already started, as the Chinese authorities are increasingly emphasizing the quality of growth and have pushed structural reforms. The economic transformation requires a fundamental change in the role of the financial system. Historically its role was to channel China’s high savings at low cost to strategic sectors. China’s economic rebalancing is multi-dimensional, and there is a need to significantly improve the financial sector’s capital allocation to promote the rebalancing from investment to consumption; from heavy manufacturing to services; and from large to small enterprises. Looking ahead, the financial system will need to become more balanced, sustainable and inclusive, to facilitate China’s economic transformation, where markets play an increasingly dominant role in resource allocation and where consequences of risk-taking are well-understood and accepted. Maintaining financial stability would also require that remaining gaps in regulatory frameworks be addressed. The standard assessments for the banking, insurance, and securities sectors show a high degree of compliance with international standards, but also point to critical gaps. Themes that cut across China’s regulatory agencies include a lack of independence, insufficient resources for supervising a large and increasingly complex financial sector, and inadequate interagency coordination and systemic risk analysis. The remaining priorities for financial market infrastructure oversight include the adoption of full delivery-versus-payment and a stronger legal basis for settlement finality. Further enhancements to crisis management frameworks are needed to allow financial institutions to fail in a manner that minimizes the impact on financial stability and public resources. This would require amongst others greater emphasis on financial stability rather than social concerns in dealing with real and potential crisis situations, the introduction of a special resolution regime for failing banks, and a streamlining of the current system of financial safety nets.

Discover how China's second-hand luxury market is thriving due to economic challenges and shifting consumer behavior, despite deflationary pressures.

Unemployment Rate in China decreased to 5 percent in May from 5.10 percent in April of 2025. This dataset provides - China Unemployment Rate - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

China BERD: % of Value Added data was reported at 2.295 % in 2021. This records an increase from the previous number of 2.281 % for 2020. China BERD: % of Value Added data is updated yearly, averaging 1.125 % from Dec 1991 (Median) to 2021, with 31 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 2.295 % in 2021 and a record low of 0.268 % in 1996. China BERD: % of Value Added data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. The data is categorized under Global Database’s China – Table CN.OECD.MSTI: Business Enterprise Investment on Research and Development: Non OECD Member: Annual.

Definition of MSTI variables 'Value Added of Industry' and 'Industrial Employment':

R&D data are typically expressed as a percentage of GDP to allow cross-country comparisons. When compiling such indicators for the business enterprise sector, one may wish to exclude, from GDP measures, economic activities for which the Business R&D (BERD) is null or negligible by definition. By doing so, the adjusted denominator (GDP, or Value Added, excluding non-relevant industries) better correspond to the numerator (BERD) with which it is compared to.

The MSTI variable 'Value added in industry' is used to this end:

It is calculated as the total Gross Value Added (GVA) excluding 'real estate activities' (ISIC rev.4 68) where the 'imputed rent of owner-occupied dwellings', specific to the framework of the System of National Accounts, represents a significant share of total GVA and has no R&D counterpart. Moreover, the R&D performed by the community, social and personal services is mainly driven by R&D performers other than businesses.

Consequently, the following service industries are also excluded: ISIC rev.4 84 to 88 and 97 to 98. GVA data are presented at basic prices except for the People's Republic of China, Japan and New Zealand (expressed at producers' prices).In the same way, some indicators on R&D personnel in the business sector are expressed as a percentage of industrial employment. The latter corresponds to total employment excluding ISIC rev.4 68, 84 to 88 and 97 to 98.

Enterprises from mainland China are increasingly involved in economic activities overseas, but they are also facing more challenges within business operations. Around 41.8 percent of Chinese enterprises located in the Yangtse Delta Area of China considered the weak market and inadequate orders as their largest challenge in business operations over the last year.

This study aimed to ascertain whether the American public was aware of or interested in issues relating to China and Southeast Asia and the degree to which public attitudes were in accord with official policy. Questions probing attitudes toward economic issues were also included, focusing especially on the financial situation of the family unit, the national economic situation, taxes, and unemployment. Demographic data include age, sex, marital status, number of children, level of education, occupation, and income.

In a survey conducted among Southeast Asians in 2025, **** percent of respondents saw the climate change and more intense and frequent weather events as the biggest challenge faced by the region in 2025. About **** percent of respondents voiced concerns over unemployment and economic recession, marking a decrease compared to the previous year.

Graph and download economic data for Net Issues of International Debt Securities for Issuers in General Government Sector, All Maturities, Residence of Issuer in China (IDSGAMRINICN) from Q4 1987 to Q1 2025 about issues, China, sector, maturity, debt, residents, securities, Net, and government.

China recorded a Government Debt to GDP of 88.30 percent of the country's Gross Domestic Product in 2024. This dataset provides - China Government Debt To GDP - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

This data package includes the underlying data to replicate the chart presented in Significant, but Not Systemic: The Challenge of China’s Efforts to Rival Western Financial Predominance, PIIE Policy Brief 25-4.

If you use the data, please cite as:

Chorzempa, Martin, and Lukas Spielberger. 2025. Significant, but Not Systemic: The Challenge of China’s Efforts to Rival Western Financial Predominance. PIIE Policy Brief 25-4. Washington: Peterson Institute for International Economics.

In the first quarter of 2024, the real gross domestic product (GDP) of Russia grew by 5.4 percent compared to the same quarter of the previous year. The decline in GDP recorded between the second quarter of 2022 and the first quarter of 2023 was related to the economic impact of the war in Ukraine, in response to which Western countries imposed sanctions on Russia. However, the recent monthly GDP growth data reflects the resilience of the economy in the face of external pressure in the short term. GDP refers to the total market value of all goods and services produced within a country. It is an important indicator of economic strength. Real GDP is adjusted for price changes and is therefore regarded as a key indicator for economic growth. Trade with China has eased the sanctions’ pressure The dynamic trade relationship with China has likely played a key role in bolstering Russia's economic recovery, contributing to an over-three-percent GDP growth estimated for 2024. The importance of trade partnerships and their impact on GDP growth is underscored by the example of China's influence on both Russia's imports, especially of technology and equipment, and exports, particularly of fossil fuels. Russian economic growth in the global context Amid the global economic challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic and geopolitical disruptions such as the war in Ukraine, Russia's annual GDP growth was close to the global one, which was forecast to reach approximately 3.2 percent in 2024. Moreover, Russia was expected to become the fourth-fastest-growing economy in the G20 in that year, following India, Indonesia, and China.