Business & IndustryAnalysis
China's 'Three New' Economy Grew 6.2% to Account for 18.39% of GDP in 2025
Data from the National Bureau of Statistics shows new industries, formats, and business models outpaced overall nominal GDP growth.
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The Brief
China's "Three New" economy—encompassing new industries, new business formats, and new business models—reached an added value of 25.79 trillion yuan in 2025, according to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics. Calculated at current prices, the sector expanded 6.2% year-on-year, outpacing nominal GDP growth by 2.2 percentage points. The sector represented 18.39% of China's total GDP in 2025, marking an increase of 0.38 percentage points from the prior year, with services leading the expansion.
Why it matters
The continued expansion of the "Three New" economy highlights China's ongoing structural shift toward high-quality development and technological modernization. As traditional growth engines like property face headwinds, emerging industries and digital business models are playing an increasingly critical role in supporting overall national output.
China context
In recent years, Chinese policymakers have prioritized the development of "new productive forces"—a strategy focused on technological innovation, digital transformation, and high-value manufacturing. Measuring the "Three New" economy allows the National Bureau of Statistics to track the concrete economic footprint of these emerging sectors, offering baseline metrics for macroeconomic policy and industrial development plans.
Editor's View
EDITOR'S VIEW — Analysis and inference, not factual reporting.
The statistical breakdown illustrates a key dynamic in China's current economic transition: services and modern consumer formats are leading the charge. Tertiary industries within the "Three New" category grew at 6.6%, outperforming the primary and secondary components. While high-tech manufacturing remains a cornerstone of state industrial policy, sustained expansion will depend heavily on maintaining robust service-sector demand and supporting private sector entrepreneurship across digital platforms.
What to watch
- Whether the 'Three New' economy's share of total GDP continues to approach the 20% mark in upcoming annual figures.
- Implementation of targeted policy support and financing mechanisms for advanced manufacturing and tech-driven service sectors.
- The sustained momentum of tertiary sector growth within the emerging economy framework amid evolving broader consumer trends.
Key Takeaways
- 1China's 'Three New' economy reached 25.79 trillion yuan in added value in 2025, growing 6.2% at current prices.
- 2The sector accounted for 18.39% of GDP, up 0.38 percentage points from the prior year.
- 3Growth in the sector exceeded nominal GDP growth by 2.2 percentage points.
- 4The tertiary sector accounted for 55.0% of the total 'Three New' added value, growing 6.6% year-on-year.
- 5The secondary sector made up 41.2% (growing 5.8%), while the primary sector comprised 3.8% (growing 4.0%).
China’s "Three New" economy—a statistical designation covering activities driven by new industries, new business formats, and new business models—expanded by 6.2% at current prices in 2025, reaching an added value of 25.79 trillion yuan, according to data published by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
The sector's growth rate outstripped overall nominal GDP expansion over the same period by 2.2 percentage points, official reports from Xinhua and People’s Daily indicated. Consequently, the "Three New" economy accounted for 18.39% of China's total GDP in 2025, representing a 0.38 percentage point increase compared to the previous year.
A sector breakdown released by the NBS shows that the tertiary (services) industry was the single largest engine within the emerging economy framework. Added value in the tertiary segment of the "Three New" economy rose 6.6% year-on-year to 14.17 trillion yuan, comprising 55.0% of the total "Three New" added value.
The secondary industry component—which includes high-tech manufacturing and modern industrial processing—grew by 5.8% year-on-year to reach 10.63 trillion yuan, making up 41.2% of the sector's overall output. The primary industry portion registered an added value of 986.5 billion yuan, up 4.0% year-on-year, and accounted for 3.8% of the total.
The concept of the "Three New" economy was established by national statisticians to capture economic momentum generated outside traditional heavy industry, property, and conventional agriculture. The latest output figures underline a steady structural shift toward service-driven and technology-enabled activities as China works to cultivate new drivers of long-term economic growth.
Sources
- Gov — State Council of China · 7/31/2026
- 去年我国“三新”经济增加值占GDP比重达18.39% --经济·科技--人民网 — People's Daily · 8/2/2026