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China in 2025: What the Official Statistics Mean for Foreign Founders

A practical reading of China's 2025 official economic and social statistics for foreign founders registering and operating companies in China, covering growth, industry, consumption, trade and the business environment.

Why This Official Data Matters to Foreign Founders

Each year the National Bureau of Statistics publishes a comprehensive report on the previous year's economy and society. For a foreign founder weighing up entity registration, market entry or expansion in China, the figures are a useful baseline for planning rather than a marketing pitch. Below is a practical summary of the main data points from the 2025 report, framed around questions investors typically ask before setting up a company.

Overall Economic Size and Growth

Preliminary calculations put 2025 gross domestic product at 140.19 trillion yuan, up 5.0% year on year. By sector, the primary industry added 9.33 trillion yuan (up 3.9%), the secondary industry 49.97 trillion yuan (up 4.5%) and the tertiary industry 80.89 trillion yuan (up 5.4%). Services accounted for 57.7% of GDP, industry for 35.6% and agriculture for 6.7%.

On the expenditure side, final consumption contributed 2.6 percentage points to GDP growth, gross capital formation 0.8 points and net exports of goods and services 1.6 points. Quarterly growth eased through the year, from 5.4% in the first quarter to 5.2%, 4.8% and 4.5% in the following quarters. Per capita GDP reached 99,665 yuan, up 5.1%. These numbers give founders a reasonable planning assumption: a large, service-heavy economy still expanding, but at a moderating pace.

Population, Labour and Employment

At year-end the population stood at 1.40489 billion, 3.39 million fewer than a year earlier, with 953.8 million urban residents. Births numbered 7.92 million and deaths 11.31 million, giving a natural growth rate of -2.41 per thousand. For founders, the headline is the continued urbanisation and the shape of the labour market.

There were 725.04 million employed people, 475.35 million of them in urban areas (65.6% of the total). Urban employment rose by 12.67 million, 110,000 more than in the previous year. The average surveyed urban unemployment rate was 5.2%, and 5.1% at year-end. Migrant workers totalled 301.15 million, up 0.5%, of whom 180.06 million worked outside their home area.

Prices and the Currency

Consumer prices were flat year on year. Producer prices for industrial goods fell 2.6%, purchaser prices fell 3.0% and agricultural producer prices fell 3.7%. In December, among 70 large and medium-sized cities, new home prices rose month on month in six cities, were flat in six and fell in 58; second-hand home prices fell in all 70. Year on year, new home prices rose in five cities and fell in 65, while second-hand prices fell in all 70.

Foreign exchange reserves reached US$3.3579 trillion, up US$155.5 billion. The average exchange rate was 7.1429 yuan per dollar, a depreciation of 0.3%. Founders should treat the property figures as context for local consumption and cost conditions, not as investment advice.

New Productive Forces and High-Tech Industry

The report highlights structural upgrading, which is where most foreign founders in technology, advanced manufacturing and services will find opportunity.

Regional Economies and Free Trade Ports

The urbanisation rate reached 67.89%, up 0.89 percentage points. Regional output grew 5.0% in the east (73.09 trillion yuan), 5.2% in the centre (29.91 trillion yuan), 5.1% in the west (29.875 trillion yuan) and 4.1% in the northeast (6.50 trillion yuan). The Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region grew 5.4% to 11.99 trillion yuan, the Yangtze Economic Belt 5.2% to 65.83 trillion yuan and the Yangtze River Delta 5.4% to 34.66 trillion yuan. The report also notes new progress in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and the Yellow River basin, and that the Hainan Free Trade Port began island-wide closed customs operations.

For founders choosing a registration location, this is a reminder that incentives, logistics and talent pools differ sharply by region, and that the Hainan arrangement is a distinct option worth examining with local advisers.

Green Transition

Carbon dioxide emissions per 10,000 yuan of GDP fell 5.0%. Clean energy generation from hydro, nuclear, wind and solar reached 4.2481 trillion kWh, up 14.4%. New energy vehicle output was 16.524 million units, up 25.1%, and the vehicle fleet reached 43.97 million, 12.57 million more than a year earlier. Of 339 monitored cities, 72.6% met air quality standards, and 91.4% of 3,641 monitored surface water sections were rated Grade I-III.

Industry, Agriculture and Profitability

Total industrial value added was 41.68 trillion yuan, up 5.8%, with above-scale industry up 5.9%. By ownership, state-controlled firms grew 4.6%, joint-stock firms 6.3%, foreign and Hong Kong/Macau/Taiwan-invested firms 3.9% and private firms 5.3%. Manufacturing grew 6.4%, mining 5.6% and utilities 2.3%. Among sectors, automobile manufacturing rose 11.5%, electrical machinery 9.2% and computers, communications and other electronics 10.6%. Above-scale industrial profits reached 7.3982 trillion yuan, up 0.6%; foreign and Hong Kong/Macau/Taiwan-invested firms recorded 1.7447 trillion yuan, up 4%. Grain output was 714.88 million tonnes, up 1.2%, and pork, beef, poultry, eggs, milk and aquatic products all feature in the full report.

Practical Takeaways

This summary is based on information published by the relevant Chinese government website and is general information, not legal or tax advice.

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