Guangdong's gross domestic product (GDP) reached 11.11 trillion yuan in the first three quarters of 2026, up 4.6 percent year on year, according to economic data released by the province on October 23. The growth rate was 0.1 percentage points higher than in the first half of the year, with Guangdong remaining China's largest provincial-level economy.
For the first time since the third quarter of 2021, Guangdong's economic growth matched the national average, marking its fastest growth for the same period in five years.
By sector, value added in the primary industry reached 394.06 billion yuan, up 4.0 percent. The secondary industry recorded 4.16 trillion yuan, up 4.9 percent, while the tertiary industry reached 6.56 trillion yuan, up 4.5 percent.
The provincial bureau of statistics said industry, finance and information services were the three main drivers of economic growth, together contributing more than 70 percent of the total. Industry accounted for 45.5 percent of the contribution to growth, with its share of GDP rising to 34 percent.
Since the beginning of the year, the artificial intelligence boom has driven rapid expansion in the electronics sector. Value added in the computer, communications and other electronic equipment manufacturing industry maintained double-digit growth. The sector added 3.2 percentage points to the growth of the province's industrial value added and accounted for more than half of the total contribution from large industrial enterprises.
Industrial production continued to grow at a relatively fast pace, with advanced and high-tech manufacturing providing strong support. In the first three quarters, value added at industrial enterprises above the designated size rose 6.1 percent year on year, 0.3 percentage points faster than in the first half.
Value added in advanced manufacturing and high-tech manufacturing grew 6.8 percent and 11.2 percent, respectively, outpacing overall industrial growth by 0.7 and 5.1 percentage points. The two sectors accounted for 57 percent and 36.1 percent of total industrial value added, up 1.5 and 2.3 percentage points from the same period last year.
By product, the output of high-tech products maintained rapid growth. Industrial robots rose 34.2 percent, 3D printing equipment increased 71.0 percent, and integrated circuits grew 29.7 percent. Some green products also recorded strong growth, with output of new energy vehicles up 52.1 percent.
The service sector grew 4.5 percent year on year in the first three quarters. Value added in leasing and business services rose 10.7 percent, information transmission, software and information technology services increased 7.3 percent, and finance grew 6.8 percent. From January to August, operating revenue at service-sector enterprises above the designated size increased 7.4 percent year on year.
Retail sales of consumer goods rose 1.4 percent year on year in the first three quarters, 0.1 percentage points higher than in the first half. Online retail growth accelerated, with goods sold through public online platforms by businesses above the designated size increasing 10.7 percent, 2.4 percentage points faster than in the first half.
Investment in emerging growth sectors continued to rise. Fixed-asset investment across the province fell 9.2 percent year on year in the first three quarters, with the decline narrowing for four consecutive months. Industrial investment accounted for 36.4 percent of the total, while investment in internet and related services surged 374.8 percent. Investment in high-tech manufacturing grew 10.9 percent.
Reporter | Dai Bosi
Photo | Nanfang Plus
