China's GDP grows 5.3% in H1

China's GDP grew by 5.3 percent year-on-year in the first half of 2025 to 66.05 trillion yuan ($9.21 trillion), showcasing a steady economic rebound backed by supportive macroeconomic policies, the National Bureau of Statistics said on Tuesday. 

In the second quarter, the economy rose by 5.2 percent in comparison to a year earlier after a 5.4 percent growth in the first quarter of the year. On a quarter-on-quarter basis, China's GDP increased by 1.1 percent in the second quarter of the year, the NBS said. 

Figures released by the NBS showed China's value-added industrial output, a gauge of activity in the manufacturing, mining and utilities sectors, grew by 6.8 percent in June from a year earlier after a 5.8 percent rise in May. 

In the first half of the year, value-added industrial output grew by 6.4 percent compared to the same period last year, while in the first quarter, it rose by 6.5 percent from a year earlier. 

Retail sales, a key measurement of consumer spending, grew by 4.8 percent year-on-year in June, down from the 6.4 percent growth in May. 

In the first half of the year, retail sales rose by 5 percent compared to the same period last year, while in the first quarter, they grew by 4.6 percent from a year earlier. 

In the January-June period, fixed-asset investment, a gauge of expenditures on items including infrastructure, property, machinery and equipment, grew by 2.8 percent compared with a year earlier, while in the January-May period, it jumped 3.7 percent year-on-year. 

The surveyed urban jobless rate came in at 5 percent in June, flat with the previous month, according to the NBS. 

The NBS noted that China's economy maintained steady recovery in the first half of the year backed by supportive macroeconomic policies, pointing to strong resilience and vitality. 

Meanwhile, the NBS warned of pressures from mounting external uncertainties and insufficient domestic demand, saying the foundation for sustained recovery is yet to be consolidated. 

In the next step, the NBS said the country should unswervingly manage its affairs well and further strengthen domestic economic circulation. 

The NBS added that China will cope with external uncertainties with high-quality development, and make more efforts to promote the sustainable, stable and healthy development of the economy.