China's economy expanded by 5.3 percent year-on-year in the first half of 2025, according to data released Tuesday by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), signaling resilience amid global uncertainties and domestic pressures.

Preliminary estimates put the country's gross domestic product (GDP) at 66.05 trillion yuan ($9.2 trillion) for the January-June period. In quarterly terms, the first quarter GDP witnessed a growth of 5.4 percent year-on-year while in the second quarter it grew by 5.2 percent year-on-year and 1.1 percent quarter-on-quarter.

The NBS said the national economy "withstood pressures, overcame challenges, and maintained overall stability with steady progress."

Key Economic Indicators

Industrial output from large-scale enterprises rose 6.4 percent year-on-year, underlining solid performance in equipment manufacturing and high-tech manufacturing sectors.

Retail sales, a major gauge of consumption, climbed 5.0 percent to 24.55 trillion yuan, 0.4 percentage point faster than the first quarter.

Fixed-asset investment (excluding rural households) reached 24.87 trillion yuan, up 2.8 percent year-on-year, reflecting continued investment momentum especially in high-tech industries.

Foreign trade remained a stabilizing force as the trade structure continue to optimize, with total imports and exports of goods growing 2.9 percent to 21.79 trillion yuan.

Price pressures remained generally stable. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) fell 0.1 percent, while Producer Price Index (PPI) – a measure of factory-gate prices – dropped 2.8 percent year-on-year.

On the labor front, the nationwide urban surveyed unemployment rate averaged 5.2 percent, down 0.1 percentage point from the first quarter.

Meanwhile, per capita disposable income rose 5.3 percent in nominal terms to 21,840 yuan, and 5.4 percent in real terms, signaling modest income gains for households after adjusting for price changes.