China's retail sales rose 2.8% year-on-year in the first two months of 2026, accelerating from a 0.9% gain in December and exceeding market expectations of a 2.5% rise. This marked the strongest growth since last October, partly boosted by the Lunar New Year holiday in mid-February. The extended holiday fueled a steady surge in consumer spending nationwide, from hotel reservations to duty-free purchases. Sales increased sharply for grains, oil, and food products (10.2% vs 3.9% in December) and clothing, footwear, and textiles (10.4% vs 0.6%). Trade also rebounded for home appliances and audio-visual equipment (3.3% vs -18.7%) and tobacco and alcohol (19.1% vs -2.9%), while it declined moderately for petroleum and related products (-9.7% vs -11%). Meanwhile, sales continued to fall for automobiles (-7.3% vs -5%). China merges retail sales data for January and February to account for the varying timing of the Lunar New Year each year, ensuring a more consistent and accurate comparison. source: National Bureau of Statistics of China

Retail Sales in China increased 2.80 percent in February of 2026 over the same month in the previous year. Retail Sales YoY in China averaged 11.96 percent from 1993 until 2026, reaching an all time high of 37.40 percent in December of 1993 and a record low of -20.50 percent in January of 2020. This page provides - China Retail Sales YoY - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news. China Retail Sales YoY - data, historical chart, forecasts and calendar of releases - was last updated on March of 2026.

Retail Sales in China increased 2.80 percent in February of 2026 over the same month in the previous year. Retail Sales YoY in China is expected to be 3.50 percent by the end of this quarter, according to Trading Economics global macro models and analysts expectations. In the long-term, the China Retail Sales YoY is projected to trend around 2.00 percent in 2027, according to our econometric models.



Calendar GMT Reference Actual Previous Consensus TEForecast
2026-01-19 02:00 AM
Retail Sales YoY
Dec 0.9% 1.3% 1.2% 1.4%
2026-03-16 02:00 AM
Retail Sales YoY
Jan-Feb 2.8% 0.9% 2.5% 1.1%
2026-04-16 02:00 AM
Retail Sales YoY
Mar 2.8% 3.5%


Related Last Previous Unit Reference
Consumer Confidence 90.60 89.50 points Jan 2026
Consumer Spending 538646.10 512120.60 CNY Hundred Million Dec 2024
Disposable Personal Income 54188.00 51821.00 CNY Dec 2024
Gasoline Prices 0.95 0.82 USD/Liter Jan 2026
Retail Sales MoM 0.81 0.71 percent Feb 2026
Retail Sales YoY 2.80 0.90 percent Feb 2026


China Retail Sales YoY
In China, the year-over-year change in Retail sales compares the aggregated sales of retail goods and services during a certain month to the same month a year ago.
Actual Previous Highest Lowest Dates Unit Frequency
2.80 0.90 37.40 -20.50 1993 - 2026 percent Monthly
Current Prices, NSA

News Stream
China Retail Sales Grow More than Expected
China's retail sales rose 2.8% year-on-year in the first two months of 2026, accelerating from a 0.9% gain in December and exceeding market expectations of a 2.5% rise. This marked the strongest growth since last October, partly boosted by the Lunar New Year holiday in mid-February. The extended holiday fueled a steady surge in consumer spending nationwide, from hotel reservations to duty-free purchases. Sales increased sharply for grains, oil, and food products (10.2% vs 3.9% in December) and clothing, footwear, and textiles (10.4% vs 0.6%). Trade also rebounded for home appliances and audio-visual equipment (3.3% vs -18.7%) and tobacco and alcohol (19.1% vs -2.9%), while it declined moderately for petroleum and related products (-9.7% vs -11%). Meanwhile, sales continued to fall for automobiles (-7.3% vs -5%). China merges retail sales data for January and February to account for the varying timing of the Lunar New Year each year, ensuring a more consistent and accurate comparison.
2026-03-16
China Retail Sales Hit 3-Year Low
China's retail sales rose 0.9% year-on-year in December 2025, slowing from a 1.3% increase and missing market expectations of a 1.2% gain. It marked the weakest growth since December 2022, as a soft jobs market and falling home prices continue to weigh on consumer spending. Sales growth moderated for grains, oil, and food products (3.9% vs 6.1% in November), clothing, footwear, and textiles (0.6% vs 3.5%), Chinese and Western medicines (1.2% vs 4.9%), and cultural and office supplies (9.2% vs 11.7%). In addition, petroleum and related products fell 11%, compared with an 8% decrease in the previous month. On the other hand, communication equipment sales picked up slightly (20.9% vs 20.6%), while declines in automobiles (-5% vs -8.3%), home appliances and audio-visual equipment (-18.7% vs -19.4%), and tobacco and alcohol (-2.9% vs -3.4%) eased. On a monthly basis, retail sales fell 0.12%, easing from a 0.41% drop in the previous month.
2026-01-19
China Retail Sales Growth at Near 3-Year Low
China’s retail sales rose 1.3% year-on-year in November 2025, easing from October figures and market estimates of 2.9%. It marked the slowest yearly rise since December 2022 despite ongoing consumer subsidy programs from Beijing. Sales eased for grains, oil, and food (6.1% vs 9.1% in October), sports and entertainment goods (0.4% vs 10.1%), clothing, shoes, hats, and textiles (3.5% vs 6.3%), cosmetics (6.1% vs 9.6%), gold, silver, and jewelry (8.5% vs 37.6%), office supplies (11.7% vs 13.5%), and communication equipment (20.6% vs 23.2%). At the same time, turnover fell further for household appliances and audio-visual equipment (-19.4% vs -14.6%), cars (-8.3% vs -6.6%), building materials (-17.0% vs -8.3%), and petroleum products (-8.0% vs -5.9%). Also, turnover of personal care fell 0.8% after increasing 7.4% previously. For the first eleven months of 2025, retail trade increased 4.0% from the same period a year earlier.
2025-12-15