In May, under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, all regions and departments thoroughly implemented the decisions and arrangements of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, adhered to the general principle of pursuing progress while ensuring stability, fully, accurately and comprehensively implemented the new development philosophy, accelerated the creation of a new development pattern, earnestly carried out more proactive macro policies, and effectively responded to external shocks and challenges. Production and supply rose steadily, employment and prices remained generally stable, the resilience of foreign trade continued to manifest, new driving forces grew stronger, and the national economy sustained a generally stable development trajectory with improvement and upgrading. Data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed that in May, the value added of industrial enterprises above designated size grew by 4.5% YoY in real terms, 0.4 percentage point faster than the previous month. On a MoM basis, the value added of industrial enterprises above designated size increased by 0.40% from April. For January-May, it grew by 5.4% YoY.
Value Added of Industrial Enterprises Above Designated Size Grew by 4.5% in May 2026
In May, the value added of industrial enterprises above designated size grew by 4.5% YoY in real terms (the real growth rates of value added are calculated after deducting price factors), 0.4 percentage point faster than the previous month. On a MoM basis, the value added of industrial enterprises above designated size increased by 0.40% from April. From January to May, it rose by 5.4% YoY.
By sector, in May, the value added of the mining industry grew by 2.3% YoY, manufacturing by 4.4%, and the production and supply of electricity, heat, gas and water by 7.6%.
By ownership, in May, the value added of state-holding enterprises grew by 3.7% YoY; joint-stock enterprises by 5.2%, enterprises funded by foreign investors or investors from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan by 1.9%; and private enterprises by 2.7%.
By industry, in May, the value added of 28 out of the 41 major industries registered YoY growth. Among them, coal mining and washing grew by 3.5%, petroleum and natural gas extraction by 1.5%, agricultural and sideline food processing by 1.5%, wine, beverages and refined tea manufacturing fell by 2.7%, the textile industry grew by 2.6%, chemical raw materials and chemical products manufacturing by 0.3%, non-metallic mineral products fell by 5.6%, ferrous metals smelting and rolling processing grew by 1.6%, non-ferrous metals smelting and rolling processing fell by 4.5%, general equipment manufacturing grew by 6.7%, special equipment manufacturing by 9.1%, automobile manufacturing by 8.3%, railway, shipbuilding, aerospace and other transport equipment manufacturing by 7.4%, electrical machinery and equipment manufacturing by 4.7%, computer, communication and other electronic equipment manufacturing by 17.0%, and electricity and heat production and supply by 8.7%.
By product, in May, among the 626 products of industrial enterprises above designated size, 300 saw YoY output growth. Specifically, steel output was 123.03 million mt, down 2.8% YoY; cement 149.91 million mt, down 8.1%; ten non-ferrous metals 6.98 million mt, up 2.2%; ethylene 3.38 million mt, up 2.1%; automobiles 2.582 million units, down 3.2%, of which NEVs 1.489 million units, up 17.8%; power generation 784.3 billion kWh, up 4.2%; crude oil processing volume 53.72 million mt, down 9.1%.
In May, the product sales ratio of industrial enterprises above designated size was 96.0%, down 0.1 percentage point YoY; the export delivery value of industrial enterprises above designated size reached 1,388.4 billion yuan, a nominal YoY increase of 10.1%.
In May, National Economy Operated Generally Stable, with New and Quality Development
In May, under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, all regions and departments earnestly implemented the decisions and plans of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, adhered to the general principle of pursuing progress while ensuring stability, fully and faithfully applied the new development philosophy, accelerated the creation of a new development pattern, effectively implemented more proactive macro policies, and effectively responded to external shocks and challenges. Production supply was stable with an upward trend, employment and prices were generally stable, the resilience of foreign trade continued to be demonstrated, and new growth drivers grew stronger. The national economy continued its development trend of overall stability with new and quality improvements.
1. Industrial Production Accelerated, with Equipment and High-Tech Manufacturing Growing Rapidly
In May, the value added of industrial enterprises above designated size increased by 4.5% YoY, 0.4 percentage points faster than the previous month; it grew 0.40% MoM. By the three major categories, the value added of mining grew 2.3% YoY, manufacturing grew 4.4%, and production and supply of electricity, heat, gas, and water grew 7.6%. The value added of equipment manufacturing grew 9.5% YoY, and high-tech manufacturing grew 15.1%, accelerating by 1.2 and 2.3 percentage points respectively from the previous month. By type of ownership, the value added of state-controlled enterprises grew 3.7% YoY; joint-stock enterprises grew 5.2%, foreign, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan invested enterprises grew 1.9%; private enterprises grew 2.7%. By product, the output of 3D printing equipment, lithium-ion batteries, and industrial robots grew 54.4%, 40.0%, and 27.9% YoY respectively. In the January-May period, the value added of industrial enterprises above designated size grew 5.4% YoY. In May, the manufacturing PMI was 50.0%, and the index of enterprise production and operation expectations was 53.9%. In the first four months, the total profits of industrial enterprises above designated size reached 2,435.8 billion yuan, up 18.2% YoY.
II. Services Grew Steadily, Modern Services Developed Soundly
In May, the national services production index grew 4.4% YoY, 0.1 percentage point faster than the previous month. By sector, the production indices of information transmission, software and IT services, leasing and business services, financial services, and transport, storage and postal services grew 11.3%, 10.9%, 7.0%, and 4.8% YoY, respectively. In January-May, the national services production index rose 4.8% YoY. In January-April, the operating revenue of service enterprises above the designated size increased 6.4% YoY. In May, the business activity index for services stood at 50.3%, and the business activity expectations index for services was 55.4%. Among them, the business activity indices for railway transport, telecommunications, radio and television, and satellite transmission services, and insurance were in the relatively high prosperity range of above 55.0%.
III. Market Sales Maintained Growth, Service Retail Maintained Sound Momentum
In January-May, total retail sales of consumer goods and services grew 2.8% YoY, with retail sales of services up 5.4% and retail sales of goods up 1.2%. In January-May, total retail sales of consumer goods reached 20,603.1 billion yuan, up 1.4% YoY. In January-May, nationwide online retail sales of goods and services reached 8,317.7 billion yuan, up 5.9% YoY, of which online retail sales of goods were 5,271.8 billion yuan, up 5.0%, and online retail sales of services were 3,045.9 billion yuan, up 7.6%. In May, total retail sales of consumer goods amounted to 4,109 billion yuan, down 0.6% YoY and down 0.38% MoM. By location of business establishments, retail sales of consumer goods in urban areas came in at 3,574.1 billion yuan, down 0.9% YoY; retail sales in rural areas were 534.9 billion yuan, up 1.5% YoY. By type of consumption, retail sales of goods stood at 3,648.5 billion yuan, down 0.7% YoY; catering revenue was 460.5 billion yuan, up 0.6% YoY. Sales of daily necessities and some upgraded goods maintained growth. Retail sales of beverages, clothing, footwear, hats and textiles, and cosmetics by enterprises above the designated size increased 6.1%, 3.8%, and 2.5% YoY, respectively.
IV. Infrastructure Investment Maintained Growth, Investment in Intellectual Property Products Accelerated
In January-May, national fixed-asset investment (excluding rural households) reached 17,851.2 billion yuan, down 4.1% YoY; excluding real estate development, fixed-asset investment fell 1.2%. Among this, investment in intellectual property products grew 9.3% YoY, 0.4 percentage points faster than in January-April. By sector, infrastructure investment rose 0.6% YoY, manufacturing investment fell 0.4%, and real estate development investment dropped 16.2%. The floor space of newly built commercial buildings sold nationwide was 313.2 million m², down 10.8% YoY; the sales value of newly built commercial buildings was 2,936.6 billion yuan, down 13.5% YoY. By industry, investment in the primary sector rose 5.9% YoY, investment in the secondary sector edged up 0.1% YoY, and investment in the tertiary sector fell 6.8% YoY. Private investment declined 7.1% YoY; excluding real estate development, private investment dropped 3.5% YoY. Investment in high-tech industries grew 4.5% YoY, with investment in computer and office equipment manufacturing, aviation and spacecraft and equipment manufacturing, and information services up 18.3%, 16.7%, and 13.8%, respectively. In May, fixed asset investment (excluding rural households) fell 1.91% MoM.
V. Rapid Growth in Goods Imports and Exports with Continued Optimization of Trade Structure
In May, total goods imports and exports reached 4,451.6 billion yuan, up 16.9% YoY, accelerating 2.7 percentage points from the previous month. Exports stood at 2,587.8 billion yuan, up 13.8% YoY, while imports totaled 1,863.8 billion yuan, up 21.5% YoY. From January to May, total goods imports and exports amounted to 20,682.7 billion yuan, up 15.3% YoY. Exports came to 11,913.7 billion yuan, up 11.8% YoY, and imports hit 8,769.1 billion yuan, up 20.5% YoY. From January to May, imports and exports under Ordinary Trade rose 8.3% YoY. Imports and exports with Belt and Road partner countries grew 13.6% YoY. Imports and exports by private enterprises increased 15.5% YoY. Exports of mechanical and electrical products expanded 18.4% YoY.
VI. Generally Stable Employment with a Decline in the Surveyed Urban Unemployment Rate
From January to May, the surveyed urban unemployment rate averaged 5.2%. In May, the surveyed urban unemployment rate was 5.1%, down 0.1 percentage points MoM. The surveyed unemployment rate for the local household labor force was 5.2%, and that for the non-local household labor force was 4.9%, with the rate for the non-local agricultural household labor force at 4.9%. The surveyed urban unemployment rate across 31 major cities was 5.1%, down 0.1 percentage points MoM. The average weekly working hours of employees in enterprises nationwide was 48.2 hours.
VII. Mild Rise in Consumer Prices and Widening YoY Increase in Producer Prices
In May, the national consumer price index (CPI) rose 1.2% YoY, the same growth as the previous month, and fell 0.1% MoM. By category, prices for food, tobacco, alcohol, and dining out fell 0.9% YoY, clothing prices rose 1.4% YoY, housing prices edged down 0.2% YoY, prices for household articles and services increased 1.8% YoY, transportation and communication prices climbed 5.4% YoY, education, culture, and entertainment prices went up 1.3% YoY, healthcare prices grew 2.1% YoY, and prices for other goods and services surged 9.9% YoY. Among food, tobacco, alcohol, and dining-out prices, pork prices fell 16.1%, fresh fruit prices dropped 2.2%, grain prices edged down 0.3%, while fresh vegetable prices rose 1.6%. Core CPI, which excludes food and energy prices, posted a 1.1% YoY increase. For January–May, national consumer prices rose 1.0% YoY.
In May, national industrial producer EXW prices rose 3.9% YoY, with the growth rate widening by 1.1 percentage points from the previous month, and rose 0.5% MoM. National industrial producer purchasing prices rose 5.8% YoY and 1.3% MoM. For January–May, national industrial producer EXW prices and purchasing prices rose 1.0% and 1.6% YoY, respectively.
Overall, the national economy operated stably in May, with development resilience continuing to show. However, it should also be noted that the external environment has become more complex and volatile, the contradiction of strong domestic supply and weak demand remains pronounced, some enterprises face considerable operating pressure, and the foundation for sustained economic improvement still needs consolidation. In the next stage, efforts should focus on adhering to Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era as guidance, maintaining the principle of pursuing progress while ensuring stability, improving quality and efficiency, strengthening counter-cyclical and cross-cyclical adjustments, continuously expanding domestic demand and optimizing supply, enhancing increments and revitalizing existing assets, developing new quality productive forces according to local conditions, deepening the building of a unified national market, working to stabilize employment, enterprises, markets, and expectations, and promoting effective qualitative improvement and reasonable quantitative growth of the economy.
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