China has set its 2026 economic growth target at 4.5 to 5 percent, striving for better results, as announced in a government work report submitted to the National People's Congress on March 6, 2026—confirming earlier January reports of this range.
The Chinese government submitted its annual work report on Thursday, March 6, 2026, to the National People's Congress (NPC), officially setting the 2026 economic growth target at 4.5 to 5 percent while aiming to outperform it in practice. This comes during the key 'two sessions' meetings of the NPC and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.
Confirming speculation from January based on briefed sources, the target reflects a flexible range emphasizing high-quality development, structural reforms, and resilience against domestic challenges like property sector issues and global uncertainties such as potential U.S. tariffs.
The announcement, a cornerstone of the year's economic policy, accompanies other major disclosures that week, including defense spending and AI development goals, underscoring balanced priorities in the new five-year plan era.
