Dongguan's economy got off to a steady start in the first quarter of 2026, with GDP reaching RMB 309.877 billion, up 5.0% year on year in real terms. Growth was led by industry, while investment and new-economy sectors gathered momentum.

Agriculture

Total output of agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry and fisheries rose 3.7% to RMB 1.161 billion. Crop production was stable, with strong growth in ornamental plants (+33.1%) and steady increases in vegetables.

Industry

Industrial production accelerated, with value added by large industrial enterprises climbing 7.8%, 3.8 percentage points faster than last year's full-year pace. Key sectors performed strongly, electronic information manufacturing jumped 10.3%, and electrical machinery and equipment rose 10.8%. Advanced and high-tech manufacturing increased 8.8% and 11.0%, both outpacing the overall industry. Output of high-tech products expanded rapidly, with integrated circuits, smartphones, smartwatches and industrial robots surging 35.9%, 32.4%, 31.4% and 26.6%, respectively. Total electricity consumption grew 7.5%, reflecting robust industrial activity.

Investment

Investment rebounded sharply, with fixed-asset investment climbing 14.1%, up 12.8 percentage points from last year. Excluding real estate, investment soared 24.9%. Investment in advanced and high-tech manufacturing surged 47.3% and 77.8%, led by electronics, medical equipment and machinery. Infrastructure investment expanded 11.6%, while manufacturing investment jumped 35.7%, offsetting a 24.4% decline in property development.

Consumption

Consumption remained stable, with retail sales edging up 1.0% to RMB 121.47 billion. Sales of upgraded goods rose strongly, including jewelry (+37.1%), communication devices (+31.9%), pharmaceuticals (+16.5%), and food products (+14.9%). Online retail maintained steady growth, increasing 5.3% and accounting for 13.1% of total sales.

Services

The service sector grew 2.1%, with transport-related services up 4.2% and scientific and technical services up 2.3%. Telecom business volume increased 12.2%, highlighting strong digital demand.

Finance

Financial indicators remained stable. By the end of March, total deposits climbed 6.4% to RMB 3,053.62 billion, with household deposits rising 9.5%. Loans totaled RMB 2,059.45 trillion (+4.1%), with manufacturing loans rising faster at 10.6%.

CPI

Consumer prices remained broadly stable, with the Consumer Price Index (CPI) inching up 0.7%. Price increases were seen in clothing, housing and healthcare, while transport and communication costs declined, keeping overall inflation contained. In March, CPI growth edged up to 1.2%.