China's economy grew 6.3% year-on-year in the second quarter of 2023, official data showed today, despite a patchy post-Covid rebound in recent months.
Beijing's National Bureau of Statistics said in a statement that the economy "showed a good momentum of recovery".
"By quarter, the GDP grew by 4.5% year on year in the first quarter and 6.3% in the second quarter," NBS spokesman Fu Linghui said.
"Market demand gradually recovered, production supply continued to increase, employment and price were generally stable, and residents' income grew steadily," he said.
Analysts polled by AFP expected a 7.1% rebound. But they had warned the figures would be misleadingly inflated given the low base of comparison with pandemic-wracked 2022.
In the same time a year ago, with restrictions such as sudden lockdowns, travel curbs and factory shutdowns the norm, China posted 0.4% year-on-year growth, one of its lowest quarterly readings in recent years.
Growth in quarter-on-quarter terms - considered a more realistic basis for comparison - shows the world's second-largest economy expanded just 0.8% in the three months from April to June.
That is down from 2.2%t growth seen in the previous three months after lukewarm activity from October to December.
Additional data released today showed China's post-pandemic recovery petering out, likely boosting calls for greater economic stimulus.
Unemployment among Chinese youths jumped to a record 21.3% in June, up from 20.8% in May, the NBS also said today.
