Chongqing- According to the Chongqing Municipal Bureau of Statistics on July 23, Chongqing's economy showed solid growth in the first half of 2025, with GDP reaching 1.59 trillion yuan ($222.48 billion), a 5.0% year-on-year increase. This represents an improvement from the 4.3% growth reported in the first quarter.

According to the bureau's interpretation, the automotive sector has played a central role in the city's economic growth. The sector's value added increased by 8.4%, contributing 1.7 percentage points to GDP growth. In particular, new energy vehicles (NEVs) saw a 19.6% rise in value-added, while production surged 25% to 489,300 units. The motorcycle industry also expanded rapidly, with a 27.7% growth rate.

A citizen is experiencing the Xiaomi SU7 in Chongqing. (Photo/Zheng Ran)

The city's manufacturing sector continues its transformation towards high-end, intelligent, and environmentally friendly products. Key sectors such as NEVs, LCD screens, and integrated circuits have experienced double-digit growth. Automobile production totaled 1.22 million units, marking a 0.3% increase, while LCD screens and integrated circuits saw growth rates of 26.2% and 67.3%, respectively. These advancements have been essential in supporting the industrial economy.

Industrial investment has also been a driving factor for Chongqing's growth. In the first half of 2025, industrial investments accounted for 29.7% of total investments, up 2.5 percentage points compared to the same period last year. The automotive sector led the way with a 12.6% increase in investment, while the equipment and energy sectors saw even higher growth, with increases of 24.9% and 23.3%, respectively.

The service sector contributed significantly to the city's overall growth. The value added by the tertiary industry reached 965.9 billion yuan, accounting for 60.6% of GDP. This sector grew by 5.6% year-on-year, contributing 65.7% to total economic growth. Retail sales of consumer goods in Chongqing amounted to 830.04 billion yuan, reflecting a 4.5% increase, driven by both policy support and rising consumer demand.

Sheng Laiyun, deputy director of the National Bureau of Statistics, recently stated that last year, 150 billion yuan in ultra-long-term special bonds spurred over 1.3 trillion yuan in sales of related products. This year, the policy has been enhanced, with the scale of funding doubling and the scope of eligible products expanding.

As part of this effort, 300 billion yuan in ultra-long-term special bond funds have been allocated to support the replacement of old consumer goods. By mid-2025, 162 billion yuan had already been allocated, said Shen.

Chongqing has implemented a funding mechanism combining ultra-long-term special bonds with public budgets. This year, the city secured three billion yuan in central government funding, complemented by local fiscal support, to back policies like automobile scrappage, replacement, and appliance upgrades. New subsidies for digital products, including smartphones, have also been introduced to further boost consumer spending.

Shoppers in Chongqing JD Mall. (Photo/JD.com)

Thus, Chongqing's consumer market showed notable growth in digital and home appliance products. By June, 3.27 million subsidy transactions had been processed, totaling 1.7 billion yuan.

E-commerce and online shopping remained strong, with the city's e-commerce platforms recording a 31.2% increase in transaction volume. Cross-border e-commerce grew by 10%, and instant retail transactions surged by 103.1%.

On June 18, 2025, workers are seen operating the automated sorting conveyor system for parcel processing at the Wuling Modern Logistics Park's express delivery sorting center in Xiushan Tujia and Miao Autonomous County, Chongqing. (Photo/Hu Cheng)

Tourism and cultural consumption also surged. The city welcomed 18.58 million domestic tourists during the May Day holiday, a 10.4% increase, with tourists spending 15.17 billion yuan, up 16.3%. The WTT Chongqing Championships, the Chongqing Marathon, and concerts and performances attracted significant numbers of visitors. Chongqing has also become a sought-after filming location, further boosting its cultural appeal.

Chongqing's trade through the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor (ILSTC) also grew. Containerized cargo volume through rail-sea transport and cross-border shuttle increased by 28%, reaching 154,600 TEUs. The value of these goods rose by 22%, totaling 28.33 billion yuan. New international routes, including a "JSQ-type freight train combining a roll-on/roll-off (ro-ro) vessel" transport service to Qinzhou, and the first direct train route to Central Asia, have helped expand the city's global trade links.

Finally, residents' incomes grew steadily in the first half of 2025. The average disposable income per capita was 22,117 yuan, a 5.1% increase year-on-year.