On March 19th, the Guangdong Provincial Bureau of Statistics released data on the province's economic performance in the first two months of 2026.

Output of products generated by new quality productive forces maintained strong growth. From January to February, the value added of industrial enterprises above the designated size grew by 7.9% year on year, 4.9 percentage points faster than that of last year. In terms of products, the output of new quality products maintained strong growth, with production of industrial robots, 3D printing devices, and integrated circuits increasing by 68.0%, 63.7%, and 47.5%, respectively. The output of home appliances also grew rapidly, with household refrigerators and washing machines increasing by 14.1% and 11.9%, respectively.

Investment in modern service industries surged. From January to February, the fixed asset investment across the province grew 0.9% year on year, 18.2 percentage points higher than the full-year growth rate of last year, reversing the downward trend since May 2024. Investment in internet and related service sector and in software and information technology sector increased by 358.3% and 637.2%, respectively. Investment in scientific research and innovation was intensified, with expenditure on research and experimental development rising by 40.2%.

Automobile sales rebounded markedly. From January to February, the province's total retail sales of consumer goods increased by 4.6% year on year, 1.8 percentage points higher than the full-year growth rate of last year. The retail sales of automobile goods among retail enterprises (units) above the designated size increased by 12.7% year on year, 16.1 percentage points higher. Of these, new energy vehicles went up 17.8% year on year, 6.1 percentage points higher.

Transportation market stayed buoyant. From January to February, the province's freight volume and freight turnover rose 9.0% and 12.1% year on year respectively, 8.8 and 4.1 percentage points higher than the full-year growth rate of last year. Specifically, waterway freight volume and freight turnover both grew by 12.8% year on year, 14.2 and 3.7 percentage points higher respectively. Civil aviation freight volume and freight turnover increased by 7.3% and 10.5% year on year respectively.