China Industrial Output Rises 6.3% in Jan–Feb with Strong Manufacturing Gains

China's industrial sector maintained solid growth in the first two months of 2026, with value-added output from large-scale industrial enterprises rising 6.3% year-on-year, according to official data. On a monthly basis, February saw a 0.83% increase compared with January.

By major sector, mining output expanded 6.1% year-on-year, manufacturing rose 6.6%, and the electricity, thermal power, gas, and water supply sector increased 4.7%.

Looking at ownership type, state-controlled enterprises recorded a 4.2% increase in value-added, joint-stock companies rose 6.9%, foreign- and Hong Kong-Macau-Taiwan-invested enterprises grew 4.0%, and private firms surged 7.4%.

Industry-level performance was broadly positive, with 35 of 41 major categories reporting year-on-year growth. Notable performers included coal mining and washing (up 7.2%), petroleum and natural gas extraction (up 5.8%), agricultural and sideline food processing (up 6.1%), alcoholic beverage and refined tea production (up 4.3%), textiles (up 5.3%), chemical raw materials and products (up 7.6%), non-metallic mineral products (up 2.5%), ferrous metal smelting and rolling (up 2.2%), non-ferrous metal smelting and rolling (up 3.9%), general equipment manufacturing (up 8.9%), special equipment manufacturing (up 8.8%), automotive production (up 3.4%), railway, ship, aerospace, and other transport equipment manufacturing (up 13.7%), electrical machinery and equipment (up 8.7%), computer, communications, and other electronic equipment (up 14.2%), and electricity and heat production (up 5.1%).

Among key industrial products, output trends were mixed. Of 626 major products, 397 saw year-on-year gains. Steel output totaled 221.19 million tonnes, down 1.1%, while cement rose 178.27 million tonnes (+6.8%). Ten major non-ferrous metals reached 13.42 million tonnes (+3.9%), ethylene output was 6.6 million tonnes (+5.1%), and automotive production fell 9.9% to 4.024 million vehicles, including 1.604 million new energy vehicles (-13.7%). Power generation reached 1,571.8 billion kWh (+4.1%), and crude oil processing totaled 122.63 million tonnes (+2.9%).

Sales efficiency of large-scale industrial enterprises remained high at 95.4%, slightly down 0.1 percentage points year-on-year. Export delivery value reached 2.405 trillion yuan, reflecting a nominal year-on-year growth of 6.3%.