Guangzhou climbs to fourth place in China's top‑ten GDP cities in Q1 2026

In the first quarter of 2026, China's ten largest regional economies were led by Shanghai, Beijing and Shenzhen, with Guangzhou moving up to fourth place, narrowly surpassing Chongqing by ¥65.39 billion and posting a 6 % year‑on‑year growth rate. The city’s surge was driven by a boom in new‑energy vehicle production, which reached 1.455 million units, a 36.1 % increase, and a robust 6.6 % rise in total retail sales.

Marking the fifth anniversary of its designation as an international consumption‑center city, Guangzhou reported a 2025 total social retail sales figure of ¥1.1 trillion, up 5.5 % and leading the original cohort of pilot cities. In the first half of the current year, retail sales hit ¥577.48 billion, a 2.9 % increase, while the city hosted over 1.2 million visitors and more than 3000 consumption‑related events, reinforcing its status as a national "consumption plus foreign‑trade" trillion‑yuan city. Initiatives such as new‑energy vehicle subsidies, service‑consumption promotions and the expansion of foreign‑card payment infrastructure have further boosted consumer activity.