In 2022, faced with challenges of high winds and choppy waters in the global environment as well as arduous tasks to advance reform, promote development and maintain stability at home, the national economy continued to develop despite downward pressure, the economic output reached a new level, the employment and prices were generally stable, and the overall economic and social development was stable and healthy.
According to preliminary estimates, the gross domestic product (GDP) was RMB 121,020.7 billion in 2022, an increase of 3.0% over last year at constant prices. By industries, the value added of the primary industry was RMB 8,834.5 billion, up by 4.1% over last year, that of the secondary industry was RMB 48,316.4 billion, up by 3.8% and that of the tertiary industry was RMB 63,869.8 billion, up by 2.3%. By quarter, the GDP for the first quarter went up by 4.8% year on year, up by 0.4% for the second quarter, 3.9% for the third quarter and 2.9% for the fourth quarter. The quarther-onquarter growth of GDP for the fourth quarter stayed the same as that for the third quarter.
Industrial production experienced sustained development and high-tech manufacturing and equipment manufacturing grew?fast
The total value added of industrial enterprises above the designated size increased by 3.6%?over?the previous year. In terms of sectors, the value added of mining was up by 7.3%, that of manufacturing up by?3.0% and that of production and supply of electricity,?thermal?power, gas and water up by 5.0%. The value added of the high-tech?manufacturing and?equipment?manufacturing went?up by 7.4% and 5.6% respectively,?or 3.8?percentage points and 2.0 percentage points faster than that of the industrial enterprises above the designated size. In terms of ownership, the value added of the state holding enterprises grew by 3.3%, that of the share-holding enterprises up by 4.8%, that of the enterprises funded by foreign investors and investors from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan down by 1.0% and that of private enterprises up by 2.9%. By products, the production of new energy vehicles, mobile communication base stations, and industrial control computer and system grew by 97.5%, 16.3% and 15.0% respectively. In December, the total value added of the industrial enterprises above the designated size grew by 1.3% year on year, up by 0.06% month on month. In the first eleven months, the total profits made by industrial enterprises above the designated size were RMB 7,718.0 billion, down by 3.6% year on year.
Service sector?sustained recovery?with modern service industries?demonstrating sound?momentum?of?growth
The?value added of services went up by 2.3% year on year in 2022.?The value added of the information transmission, software and information technology services and that of financial services grew by 9.1% and 5.6% respectively. In December, the Index of Services Production went down by 0.8% year on year, the decline narrowed by 1.1 percentage points compared with that of the previous month. In the first eleven months, the business revenue of service enterprises above the designated size grew by 3.9% year on year, of which that of the information transmission, software and information technology services, that of scientific research and technology services and that of health and social services went up by 8.3%, 8.3% and 8.1% respectively.
Scale of market sales was basically stable with sales of basic living goods and online retail sales growing fast
In 2022, the total retail sales of consumer goods reached RMB 43,973.3 billion, down by 0.2% over the previous year. Analyzed by different areas, the retail sales in urban areas reached RMB 38,044.8 billion, down by 0.3%; and the retail sales in rural areas stood at RMB 5,928.5 billion, the same as that of the previous year. Grouped by consumption patterns, the retail sales of goods were RMB 39,579.2 billion, up by 0.5%; and the income of catering was RMB 4,394.1 billion, down by 6.3%. The basic living consumption increased steadily, with the retail sales of grain, oil and food and that of beverages by enterprises above the designated size growing by 8.7% and 5.3% respecively over the previous year. In 2022, the national online retail sales reached RMB 13,785.3 billion, growing by 4.0% over the previous year. Specifically, the online retail sales of physical goods were RMB 11,964.2 billion, up by 6.2%, accounting for 27.2% of the total retail sales of consumer goods. In December, the total retail sales of consumer goods went down by 1.8% year on year, a decline narrowed by 4.1 percentage points than that of the previous month; or a month-on-month decline of 0.14%.
Investment in fixed assets increased steadily and investment in high-tech industries maintained a good momentum of growth
In 2022, the investment in fixed assets (excluding rural households) reached RMB 57,213.8 billion, up by 5.1% over the previous year. Specifically, the investment in infrastructure went up by 9.4%, manufacturing up by 9.1% and real estate development down by 10.0%. The floor space of commercial buildings sold reached 1,358.37 million square meters, down by 24.3%. The total sales of commercial buildings were RMB 13,330.8 billion, down by 26.7%. By industries, the investment in the primary industry went up by 0.2%; that in the secondary industry up by 10.3%; and that in the tertiary industry up by 3.0%. The private investment went up by 0.9%. The investment in high-tech industries grew by 18.9%, 13.8 percentage points faster than the total investment. Specifically, the investment in high-tech manufacturing and high-tech services grew by 22.2% and 12.1% respectively. In terms of hightech manufacturing, the investment in manufacturing of medical equipment, measuring instruments and meters and in electronics and communication equipment manufacturing grew by 27.6% and 27.2% respectively. In terms of high-tech services, the investment in services for transformation of scientific and technological achievements and in research, development and design services went up by 26.4% and 19.8% respectively. The investment in social sector went up by 10.9%. Specifically, the investment in health and in education went up by 27.3% and 5.4% respectively. In December 2022, the investment in fixed assets(excluding rural households) grew by 0.49% month on month.
Imports and exports of goods grew fast and trade structure continued to?optimize
In 2022, the total value of imports and exports of goods was RMB?42,067.8?billion, an increase of?7.7% over 2021. The total value of exports was RMB?23,965.4?billion, up by?10.5%; the total value of imports was?RMB 18,102.4?billion,?up?by?4.3%. The trade balance was?RMB 5,863.0?billion in surplus. The imports and exports of general trade increased by?11.5%, accounting for?63.7% of the total value of imports and exports, an increase of?2.2?percentage points?compared with last year. The imports and exports by private enterprises grew by?12.9%, accounting for?50.9% of the total value of imports and exports,?2.3?percentage points higher than that of last year. The?imports and?exports of mechanical and electrical products grew by?2.5%, accounting for?49.1% of the total value of imports and exports. In December, the total value of imports and exports of goods was RMB?3,771.3?billion, up by?0.6% year on year. Specifically, the total value of exports was RMB?2,160.7?billion,?down?by?0.5%; the total value of imports was?RMB 1,610.6?billion,?up?by?2.2%.
Consumer prices saw slow growth and growth of producer prices for industrial products?went down
In 2022, consumer prices went up by 2.0% over last year. Grouped by commodity categories, prices for food, tobacco and alcohol went up by?2.4%; clothing?up?by 0.5%; housing?up?by 0.7%; articles and services for daily use?up by 1.2%; transportation and communication?up?by?5.2%; education, culture and recreation up by 1.8%; medical services and health care up by?0.6?percent; and other articles and services up by?1.6%. In terms of food, tobacco and alcohol prices, prices for?pork went down by 6.8%,?grain up by?2.8%, fresh vegetables up by?2.8% and fresh fruits up by?12.9%. Core CPI excluding the prices of food and energy went up by 0.9%. In December, the consumer price went up by?1.8% year on year, and maintained the same level of growth month on month. In 2022, the producer prices for industrial products?went up?by?4.1% over last year and in December, it went down by 0.7% year on year and?down?by?0.5% month on month. The purchasing prices for industrial producers went?up?by?6.1% over last year, and in December, it?went up by 0.3%?year on year, or?down?by?0.4% month on month.
(Source: National Bureau of Statistics of China)