China’s National Bureau of Statistics has released figures showing that Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew 5.3% year-on-year in the first half of 2025, in line with market expectations.
Sheng Laiyun, Deputy Director of the National Bureau of Statistics, said at a press conference hosted by the State Council Information Office that the international environment had been complex and volatile since the start of the year, impacting the economic and trade order and creating global economic instability. Nevertheless, the Chinese economy managed to maintain “stable growth”.
According to the figures, GDP in 1H25 was RMB 66.1 trillion (US$9.21 trillion), representing a year-on-year increase of 5.3% at constant prices. The first quarter grew by 5.4% and the second quarter by 5.2%. This growth rate was 0.5 percentage points higher than during the same period last year, reflecting a stable and positive economic growth trend.
By industry, the added value of the primary sector reached RMB 3.12 trillion (US$435 billion), up 3.7% year-on-year, while added value of the secondary sector reached RMB 23.9 trillion (US$3.33 trillion), up 5.3%. The added value of the tertiary sector reached RMB 39.0 trillion (US$5.44 trillion), up 5.5%.
In terms of employment, the average urban survey unemployment rate in the first half of the year was 5.2%, down 0.1 percentage points from the first quarter.
Among these, the national urban surveyed unemployment rate in June was 5%, with the unemployment rates for migrant workers and rural migrant workers both at 4.8%. Additionally, the urban surveyed unemployment rate in 31 major cities remained stable at 5.0%. The average weekly working hours for employed personnel in enterprises nationwide reached 48.5 hours.
Meanwhile, the number of rural migrant workers continued to grow steadily. By the end of the second quarter, the total number of rural migrant workers reached 191.4 million, an increase of 0.7% year-on-year. This data indicates that the demand for rural labor remains active.
“Despite the complex international situation, stable economic growth and the performance of the employment market demonstrate the resilience and development potential of the Chinese economy,” said Sheng.
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