Chinese industrial production increases by 5.9 % in the first two months of the year – economy

Industrial production in China increased by 5.9 %, in the same way, in the first two months of the year, over the expectations of analysts, according to the official data issued on Monday.

However, the pace of growth in the first two months of the year is 0.3 % lower than that reached in December.

Among the three main sectors in which the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) is divided into the Asian country, which most of them contributed to production in January and February the conversion industry (+6.9 %), followed by the extractive industry (+4.3 %) and the production and supply of electricity, heating, gas and water, which recorded 1.1 % progress.

The institution highlighted the resumption of production in some sectors, such as the auto manufacturing industry (+12 %), textiles (+7 %) or the food processing industry (+8.3 %).

NBS has also released other statistical data, such as the retail sales key index -which has grown 4 % in terms of similar conditions, which is in line with analysts’ expectations above December (+3.7 %) and the total value to 2024 (+3.5 %).

The official unemployment rate in urban areas was 5.4 % in late February, more than 0.2 % of what it was at the end of the first month of the year.

Investment in fixed assets increased by 4.1 % in terms of similar conditions in the first two months of the year, as well as the previous registration force (+3.2 %) and analysts’ expectations (+3.6 %).

In the sectors where this last indicator is divided, the investment from the basic sector (agriculture, mining, fisheries, and forests) increased by 12.2 %, while the industry is increased by 11.4 % and the third sector (services) 0.7 %.

Investment in real estate promotion decreased by 9.8 % in the first two months of the year, a lower value compared to the decrease recorded in 2024 (-10.6 %), in the context of a long crisis in the sector, which weighs on the economic recovery of the Asian country.

NBS publishes data for January and February together to avoid any distortion due to the new lunar year, which motivates every year in different days.