Shanghai GDP grows 5.6% in first half of 2026

Shanghai's economy grew 5.6 percent year-on-year in the first half of 2026, with GDP approaching 2.79 trillion yuan ($415.0 billion), according to the Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Statistics.

The secondary and tertiary industries expanded by 4.7 percent and 5.9 percent, respectively. Industrial added value rose 5.6 percent, with output from the city's three leading industries — integrated circuits, artificial intelligence, and biomedicine — increasing 14.5 percent.

AI manufacturing grew 21.8 percent, integrated circuit manufacturing 19.5 percent, and biopharmaceutical manufacturing 7.2 percent. Output from strategic emerging industries increased 7.7 percent, led by new energy vehicles, new energy, and high-end equipment, which grew 33.9 percent, 20.6 percent, and 9.3 percent, respectively.

The services sector continued to expand, with financial services growing 10.2 percent and information transmission, software, and information technology services increasing 9.1 percent. From January to May, revenue from integrated circuit design and internet platforms rose 24 percent and 12.5 percent, respectively.

Fixed-asset investment increased 6.8 percent year-on-year. Industrial investment rose 19.2 percent, while investment in high-tech industries surged 36 percent. Investment in information transmission, software, and information technology services jumped 140 percent, supported by spending on intelligent-model and computing-power equipment.

Foreign trade also reached a record high for the first half, totaling 2.55 trillion yuan and rising 18.6 percent. Imports and exports increased 17.4 percent and 20.1 percent, respectively. Trade in high-tech products reached 662.14 billion yuan, up 21.6 percent.