China's economy grew 5% last year, among slowest in decades
This is one of its slowest rates of growth in decades as it struggles with persistently low consumer spending and a debt crisis in its property sector.
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BEIJING: China's economy expanded 5 per cent for the whole of 2025, meeting the government's annual growth target, official data showed on Monday (Jan 19).
This is one of its slowest rates of growth in decades as it struggles with persistently low consumer spending and a debt crisis in its property sector.
Analysts had forecast 4.9 per cent growth.
In the fourth quarter of 2025, the world's second-largest economy grew 4.5 per cent from a year earlier, a touch above analysts' expectations but marking a significant slowdown towards the end of the year.
Analysts polled by Reuters had forecast fourth-quarter gross domestic product (GDP) would expand 4.4 per cent from a year earlier, slowing from the third-quarter's 4.8 per cent pace as consumption and investment dragged.
Last quarter's growth was the slowest in three years.
On a quarterly basis, GDP grew 1.2 per cent in October-December, compared with a forecast 1.0 per cent increase and 1.1 per cent gain in the previous quarter.
China's trade surplus reached a record high in 2025 as exporters successfully diversified their markets to fend off pressure from US tariffs, but demand at home further weakened since late last year as confidence has remained low amid a prolonged property crisis.
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