China's economy expands 5% in Q1, beating expectations
China’s GDP rose 5 percent year on year in the first quarter of 2026, marking an improvement of 0.5 percentage points from the fourth quarter of 2025, according to data released Thursday by the National Bureau of Statistics, Qazinform News Agency cites Xinhua.
During the January-March period, China’s GDP totaled 33.4 trillion yuan (around 4.87 trillion U.S. dollars).
In the first quarter, "the growth of production and supply accelerated, market demand continued to improve, employment was generally stable, market prices picked up moderately, and high-quality development advanced with new and positive momentum," the NBS said in a statement. "The national economy got off to a good start with the development showing greater resilience and vitality."
China’s economy expanded by 5 percent for the full year in 2025. For 2026, the government has set a growth target of between 4.5 and 5 percent, with an aim to exceed that range if conditions allow.
Previously, Qazinform reported China’s foreign trade surges 15% in Q1, fastest in five years.