The 3 Industries Driving China's Economy (2024)

China is one of the largest countries in the world and a significant manufacturer and producer of industrial goods. China's total output as measured by gross domestic product (GDP) is expected to increase by more than 4% in 2022, following an 8.1% growth rate in 2021. China's economy was recovering in 2021 from the COVID-19 pandemic, which caused significant economic disruption.

China's GDP growth for 2022 is expected to decelerate to slightly more than 5% as it's expected to take time for more countries to reopen from the COVID-19 pandemic and investment spending to rebound within China. In years past, China's annual GDP rate was typically over 10%, whereas it's been fluctuating from 5-8% in recent years. The major sectors and industries driving growth for China include the services sector, agriculture, manufacturing, and technology. China is also one of the world's largest exporters and importers in the world.

China's communist government began to institute capitalist market reforms in 1978, and over subsequent years, the Chinese have taken a sharp turn away from state-owned enterprises, or SOEs. As of 2013, SOEs only accounted for 45% of all Chinese industrial output. That figure was nearly 80% in 1978; the remaining 22% were "collectively owned" enterprises. The result is an economic explosion that catapulted China to the second-largest economy in the world, trailing only the United States.

In recent years, the country has been in transition from predominately an industrial to a consumer-based spending economy. Over the years, initial reforms focused on agriculture but soon spread to the services and light manufacturing sectors. However, more than 75% of the population is exposed to harmful air pollution and carbon dioxide emissions, which have increased over the years. Also, China's income inequality is higher than most developed nations, with the poorest 20% of households earning only 6.5% of total income.

Key Takeaways

  • China is one of the largest countries in the world and a significant manufacturer and producer of industrial goods.
  • China's total output as measured by gross domestic product (GDP) is expected to be more than 8% in 2021, following a 2.3% growth rate in 2020.
  • China's GDP growth for 2022 is expected to decelerate to slightly more than 5% as it's expected to take time for investment spending to rebound within the economy.
  • The major sectors and industries driving growth for China include the services sector, agriculture, manufacturing, and technology.
  • China is also one of the world's largest exporters and importers in the world.

1. Services

China's services sector represents more than 54% of the economic output in 2020. To put this in comparison, in 2010, the services industry represented slightly more than 44% of GDP.Consumption of goods is a major factor and driver of growth, representing more than 39% of China's GDP in 2020. Those goods include jewelry, home appliances, garments, autos, office supplies, and furniture.

However, China's retail sales jumped by more than 13% from January to November 2021, versus the same period one year earlier. Retail sales represent consumer spending within the economy. In comparison, the United States posted retail sales of 18.2% from November 2020 to November 2021.

A healthy services sector is a sign of healthy domestic consumption and per capita wealth increases; helping the Chinese people gain the capacity to afford their own output.

2. Manufacturing

China's manufacturing and industrial sector represented nearly 38% of China's GDP in 2020. However, China's industrial production has been on the decline in recent years, coming in at 3.8% in November 2021—down from 7% one year earlier.

China's manufacturing sector has been declining as a percentage of GDP. In 2010, manufacturing and industry accounted for 45.5% of GDP.The decline is likely due to China transitioning towards a domestically-driven consumer spending economy. Chinese goods within the manufacturing and industry sector include iron, steel, aluminum, textiles, cement, chemicals, toys, electronics, rail cars, ships, aircraft, and many other products.

China exports many goods globally, including to the U.S. The top exported goods for China as the end of 2020 were machinery, electrical equipment—such as personal computers—furniture, bedding, lighting, and plastics.

China has a thriving automobile manufacturing industry and is the world's largest car manufacturer. As of September 2021, China produced more than 12.8 million vehicles versus 8.5 million produced in the U.S. year to date. Japan was the third-largest producer with 2.4 million and Germany with 1.5 million units produced as of September 2021.

3. Agriculture

Agriculture is the third-largest sector in China, representing 7.5% of the country's total output as measured by GDP as of the end of 2020. The share of GDP is down from 8.94% in 2013. Although the percentage is not as high as emerging economies in Africa and Latin America, it is higher than the .92% share of GDP in the U.S. and 1.51% in the euro area.

China produces many agricultural goods, including corn, rice, wheat, soy, cotton, peanuts, and apples. China also produces 69% of the world's nectarines and peaches, while it's the leader in peanut, rice, and wheat production as of 2020.

The 3 Industries Driving China's Economy (2024)

FAQs

The 3 Industries Driving China's Economy? ›

Manufacturing, services and agriculture are the largest sectors of the Chinese economy – employing the majority of the population and making the largest contributions to GDP. Since 1949, the Chinese Government has been responsible for planning and managing the national economy.

What drives China's economy? ›

Driven by industrial production and manufacturing exports, China's GDP is actually now the largest in terms of purchasing power parity (PPP) equivalence. Despite this growth, China's economy remains strictly controlled by its government where there are accusations of corruption, unfair dealings, and falsified data.

Which industries produce most of China's income? ›

Biggest Industries by Revenue in China in 2023
  • Copper Ore Mining in China. ...
  • Building Construction in China. ...
  • Online Shopping in China. ...
  • Real Estate Development and Management in China. ...
  • Mail-Order & Online Shopping in China. ...
  • Residential Real Estate in China. ...
  • Bridge, Tunnel and Subway Construction in China.

Which three industries have the greatest contribution to our economy? ›

Other sectors making notable contributions to the economy over the last decade include construction, retail, and non-durable manufacturing.
  1. Healthcare. The health sector helped the U.S. recover from the 2008 financial crisis. ...
  2. Technology. ...
  3. Construction. ...
  4. Retail. ...
  5. Non-durable Manufacturing.

What is the driving force behind China's economic success? ›

China's strong productivity growth, spurred by the 1978 market-oriented reforms, is the leading cause of China's unprecedented economic performance.

What is the largest segment of China's economy? ›

China's economic development has been fueled in large part by a sprawling industrial sector, which includes manufacturing, construction, mining, and utilities. In 2020, value-added industrial output accounted for nearly 38 percent of China's GDP—more than double that of the United States (18 percent).

What makes up China's GDP? ›

China's export and investment-driven economy

A country's gross domestic product (GDP) consists of three parts: Consumption, investments, and net exports. Typically, emerging economies rely mainly on investments and exports for growing their economy and China was no exception.

What are the main manufacturing industries in China? ›

The great bulk of China's exports consists of manufactured goods, of which electrical and electronic machinery and equipment and clothing, textiles, and footwear are by far the most important. Agricultural products, chemicals, and fuels are also significant exports.

What are China's 3 major industries? ›

Manufacturing, services and agriculture are the largest sectors of the Chinese economy – employing the majority of the population and making the largest contributions to GDP.

What are the top 3 major industries in China? ›

The major sectors and industries driving growth for China include the services sector, agriculture, manufacturing, and technology. China is also one of the world's largest exporters and importers in the world.

Which industry is booming in China? ›

China's economic growth in 2023 will be led by several key industries that are forecast to flourish due to the lifting of COVID restrictions, as well as government support and incentives. These include tourism, new energy vehicles, online shopping, software development, and healthcare.

What are the 3 popular industries? ›

Biggest Industries by Revenue in the US in 2023
  • Hospitals in the US. ...
  • Drug, Cosmetic & Toiletry Wholesaling in the US. ...
  • Pharmaceuticals Wholesaling in the US. ...
  • Health & Medical Insurance in the US. ...
  • Commercial Banking in the US. ...
  • New Car Dealers in the US. ...
  • Life Insurance & Annuities in the US. ...
  • Public Schools in the US.

What are the 3 main sectors of the economy? ›

The 3 main sectors of the economy are primary, secondary and tertiary sectors. Manufacturing comes under the secondary sector, extraction of raw materials industries comes under the primary sector of the economy and the services industry comes in the tertiary sector of the economy.

What are the top 3 industries in the world? ›

Global Biggest Industries by Employment in 2023
  1. Global Consumer Electronics Manufacturing. ...
  2. Global Commercial Real Estate. ...
  3. Global Fast Food Restaurants. ...
  4. Global HR & Recruitment Services. ...
  5. Global Apparel Manufacturing. ...
  6. Global Coal Mining. ...
  7. Global Tourism. ...
  8. Global Auto Parts & Accessories Manufacturing.

What made China's economy grow so fast? ›

The adoption of economic reforms by China in the late 1970s led to a surge in China's economic growth and helped restore China as a major global economic power. Source: The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, Chinese Economic Performance in the Long Run, 960-2030, by Angus Maddison, 2007.

How did China's economy grow so fast? ›

China pursued the export oriented path initially towards industrialization, but later started to diversify into other economic sectors within the span of last 10 years. It has been done with unwavering determination to help in the growth rates and expanding the economic reach.

What is the main reason for the rapid development of economy in China? ›

China's rapid economic development is an aggregate outcome of the introduction of the reforms in phases since 1978. The following are the various factors that led to the rapid growth in the economic development in China: In the initial phase, reforms were initiated in agriculture, foreign trade and investment sectors.

Why is China the world's second largest economy? ›

China has not only become the world's factory, but also lifted over 700 million rural residents out of poverty as the economy expanded. The country's economic success has benefited greatly from a large population with relatively low labor costs and a huge market, but also an efficient and strong central government.

What is the fastest growing economy in the world? ›

India. India's GDP grew by 8.7% in 2021, reaching $3.1 trillion, making it the fastest-growing major economy in the world. Furthermore, India's per capita income has doubled in the last decade, and poverty rates have declined significantly.

How much does the US contribute to China's GDP? ›

The economy of China is Int. $3,982 billion or 1.18x of the US on purchasing power parity basis. According to estimates by World Bank, China's gdp was approx 11% of the US in 1960, but in 2019 it is 67%.
...
Comparing United States and China by Economy.
SourceWorld Bank : Nominal, PPP, Nominal per capita, PPP per capita
International Monetary Fund
Date15 May 2021

Who is the biggest contributor to China's GDP? ›

Private investment and exports are the main drivers of economic growth in China; but, in recent years, the Chinese government has been emphasising domestic consumption. 1,411,750,000 (31 December 2022 est.) $19.373 trillion (nominal; 2023 est.)

What does the US rely on China for? ›

Not only does China supply a tremendous amount of our consumer and commercial goods, medical supplies, pharmaceuticals, and vital raw materials, but it also controls a huge share of the world's shipping fleet and commercial shipbuilding capabilities.

What is the world's strongest economy? ›

According to the latest available data from the World Bank, the United States of America is currently the world's largest economy, with a GDP of over $23 trillion in 2021.

What is China the leading producer of? ›

China is the world's largest agricultural producer by volume and the world's second-largest agricultural importer by value. It is the world's largest producer of wheat and rice.

What type of economy is the China? ›

While initially founded as a socialist state with a centrally planned economy, it now has a mixed economy, described by its government as “Socialism with Chinese characteristics”. China has enjoyed almost 30 boom years with GDP growing in double-digits, raising 500 million people out of poverty.

What are China's 3 main exports? ›

Exports The top exports of China are Broadcasting Equipment ($231B), Computers ($192B), Integrated Circuits ($158B), Office Machine Parts ($101B), and Telephones ($53.9B), exporting mostly to United States ($530B), Hong Kong ($323B), Japan ($168B), South Korea ($140B), and Germany ($134B).

What industries does China have a comparative advantage? ›

China's comparative advantage is manufacturing, and there's no shortage of policies that support this, from forced labor and the lack of IP protection to the coddling of state-owned companies.

What is China's number one industry? ›

Manufacturing is by far the biggest industry in China accounting for 46.8% of the country's GDP which is attributed to China's intense investment in its heavy industries.

How much of China's economy is manufacturing? ›

China manufacturing output for 2021 was $4,865.83B, a 26.04% increase from 2020.

What is in high demand in China? ›

Products with high demand: according to Diario COMEX, products profiting most in the Chinese market are meat, dairy product, fresh and processed fruits, oil, fish preserves, sugars and liquors. The market grew from US$ 77 million to over US$ 1 billion dollars in the past decade, in other words, 13 times.

What is the 3 industry? ›

The 3 major types of industries are primary industry, secondary industry and tertiary industry.

What 3 types of industries are in an economy and describe each one? ›

Industrials, such as manufacturing, machinery, and construction. Energy, which includes the production and supply of energy. Utilities, such as water, electric, and gas companies. Consumer discretionary, which represents non-essential goods.

What are the 4 main industries? ›

There are four types of industry. These are primary, secondary, tertiary and quaternary.

What is the difference between the 3 sectors of economy? ›

Each sector is interdependent on the other so that the economy as a whole functions properly and efficiently. The primary sector is where the materials for the secondary sector are gathered. In the secondary sector, the product is then made into consumable item(s) which is then distributed by the tertiary sector.

What are the 3 sectors of economy not included in GDP? ›

There are several economic events and factors that are not included in GDP such as sales of goods or services produced outside the country, illegal goods or services, transfer payments, and unpaid services.

What are the top 5 economic sectors? ›

There are five main economic sectors.
  • Primary Sector - raw materials.
  • Secondary Sector - manufacturing.
  • Tertiary Sector - services.
  • Quaternary Sector - knowledge.
  • Quinary Sector - an extension of the tertiary/quaternary sector.

What are the names of the 3 types of industries? ›

In economics, industries are customarily classified as primary, secondary, and tertiary; secondary industries are further classified as heavy and light.

Which industry is the most important of all the three? ›

Which industry is the most important of all the three? Ans. The primary industry is the most crucial for the economic activities towards the early stage of development. However, every industry has its own significance and contributes significantly to the economic growth and progress of a nation.

What is the #1 industry in the world? ›

It's the industry that manages, stores and protects money for billionaires, conglomerates, companies—and you. That's right, the financial industry is the largest industry in the world! Totalling $109 trillion, it dwarfs the competition.

When did China's economy grow the most? ›

China's economy grew at an average rate of 10% per year during the period 1990–2004, the highest growth rate in the world.

How has the Chinese economy grown? ›

The economy expanded 2.9% in the fourth quarter of 2022. Retail sales jumped 10.6% in March as online sales of physical goods picked up. Industrial output rose 3.9%, slightly lower than Reuters' forecasts of 4%.

What is the main cause of China's recent rapid economic growth quizlet? ›

What was the main cause of economic growth? The main cause for China's rapid economic growth in the 1980's was it's change from a planned economy to a free market economy. This happened when Mao Zedong died.

What are the top 5 industries in China? ›

The 10 Biggest Industries by Revenue in China
  • Copper Ore Mining in China. ...
  • Building Construction in China. ...
  • Online Shopping in China. ...
  • Real Estate Development and Management in China. ...
  • Mail-Order & Online Shopping in China. ...
  • Residential Real Estate in China. ...
  • Bridge, Tunnel and Subway Construction in China.

Which country will rule the world in 2025? ›

According to a recent report by Harvard University, “From economic complexity growth estimates, India is growing at the annual list at the rate of 7.9 percent as the fastest growing country for the coming decade.

How much does China owe US? ›

China's outstanding foreign debt, including US dollar debt, reached US$2.29 trillion at the end of September in 2020, up from US$2.13 trillion at the end of June, according to China's State Administration of Foreign Exchange.

What are the 4 most important strategies for economic growth in China's project? ›

China's top five key reform areas are: (1) the “new macroeconomic policy responses” to stabilize near-term growth, (2) “transform the economic growth pattern” to further boost consumption, (3) improve “competition” to allow the market to play the basic role and promote private sector involvement, (4) promote “ ...

What has caused China to become a transition economy? ›

After 35 years of extraordinarily rapid growth, the Chinese economy is undergoing a major transition from export-led growth to a model increasingly driven by consumption and services, with less emphasis on debt-financed public investment.

What is one reason China has been able to grow so rapidly even though its financial system is still in the early stages of development? ›

Answer and Explanation: The corporate and domestic savings rate in China is the highest global savings rate because the government in China tries to balance the external and internal trade. Also, a deficit or surplus is maintained.

Is the US economy growing faster than China? ›

The U.S. has been the largest economy in the world by GDP since the metric came into favor in the mid-1900s. But China has grown at a far greater pace in recent decades, with its GDP growing from just 12% of the U.S.' in 2000 to 77% last year.

What is the Chinese economic miracle? ›

The Chinese economic reform or Chinese economic miracle, also known domestically as Reform and Opening-up (Chinese: 改革开放; pinyin: Gǎigé kāifàng) refers to a variety of economic reforms termed "socialism with Chinese characteristics" and "socialist market economy" in the People's Republic of China (PRC) that began in ...

Did the US economy grow faster than China's? ›

“For the first time in 20 years, our economy grew faster than China's,” the president said in a statement on GDP data in January. Measuring the fourth-quarter of last year compared with the same period of 2020, the US expanded 5.5% against China's 4%.

Which country has the best economy right now? ›

#1 Singapore. Read More About SingaporeSingapore's economic freedom score is 83.9, making its economy the world's freest in the 2023 Index. Its score is about the same as last year.

Which country will be richest in 2050? ›

As a result, six of the seven largest economies in the world are projected to be emerging economies in 2050 led by China (1st), India (2nd) and Indonesia (4th) The US could be down to third place in the global GDP rankings while the EU27's share of world GDP could fall below 10% by 2050.

Which country will have the best economy in the future? ›

The Top 10 Economies in 2027
  1. United States. 2021: 1. 2022: 1. 2027: 1. ...
  2. China. 2021: 2. 2022: 2. 2027: 2. ...
  3. India. 2021: 6. 2022: 5. 2027: 3. ...
  4. Japan. 2021: 3. 2022: 3. 2027: 4. ...
  5. Germany. 2021: 4. 2022: 4. 2027: 5. ...
  6. United Kingdom. 2021: 5. 2022: 6. 2027: 6. ...
  7. France. 2021: 7. 2022: 7. 2027: 7. ...
  8. Canada. 2021: 9. 2022: 8. 2027: 8.
Dec 8, 2022

What does China's economy depend on? ›

The major sectors and industries driving growth for China include the services sector, agriculture, manufacturing, and technology. China is also one of the world's largest exporters and importers in the world.

Does China rely on the US for food? ›

The United States used to be China's largest agricultural supplier, but its position weakened following the U.S.-China trade war in 2018. In 2021, Brazil replaced the United States as China's largest agricultural supplier, providing 20 percent of China's agricultural imports.

What is China the largest producer of? ›

It is the world's largest producer of wheat and rice.

What are China's main exports? ›

Exports The top exports of China are Broadcasting Equipment ($231B), Computers ($192B), Integrated Circuits ($158B), Office Machine Parts ($101B), and Telephones ($53.9B), exporting mostly to United States ($530B), Hong Kong ($323B), Japan ($168B), South Korea ($140B), and Germany ($134B).

How is China's economy controlled? ›

The Chinese Communist Party reserves the right to make broad decisions on economic priorities and policies, but the government apparatus headed by the State Council assumes the major burden of running the economy.

What are China's top 3 industries? ›

Manufacturing, services and agriculture are the largest sectors of the Chinese economy – employing the majority of the population and making the largest contributions to GDP.

What does China farm the most? ›

Rice, maize and wheat are the three major crops, and the production of these three crops accounts for more than 90% of China's total food production.

What is China's biggest resource? ›

China has natural resources estimated to be worth $23 trillion. 2 Ninety percent of China's resources are coal and rare earth metals. Timber is another major natural resource found in the country, as is arable land.

What are 3 items that China exported? ›

China ranks among world-leading nations for exporting cell phones, electronic circuit components and automotive parts or accessories.

What are China top 3 exports and their value? ›

List of exports of China
#ProductValue
1Computers210.231
2Broadcasting equipment110.979
3Telephones91.759
4Office machine parts47.079
26 more rows

What is China's main trade? ›

The great bulk of China's exports consists of manufactured goods, of which electrical and electronic machinery and equipment and clothing, textiles, and footwear are by far the most important. Agricultural products, chemicals, and fuels are also significant exports.

What country holds the most U.S. debt? ›

As of January 2023, the five countries owning the most US debt are Japan ($1.1 trillion), China ($859 billion), the United Kingdom ($668 billion), Belgium ($331 billion), and Luxembourg ($318 billion).

Who is the US in debt to the most? ›

Top Foreign Holders of U.S. Debt
RankCountryShare of Total
1🇯🇵 Japan14.7%
2🇨🇳 China11.9%
3🇬🇧 United Kingdom8.9%
4🇧🇪 Belgium4.8%
6 more rows
Mar 24, 2023

What happens if China sells U.S. debt? ›

Since the U.S. dollar has a variable exchange rate, however, any sale by any nation holding huge U.S. debt or dollar reserves will trigger the adjustment of the trade balance at the international level. The offloaded U.S. reserves by China will either end up with another nation or will return back to the U.S.

Will China surpass the US? ›

There is still much work to be done to propel China to the top of the world's economy, but it is certainly possible that the Chinese economy can surpass the power of the US by 2050. It may also be too early to make definitive projections of China's future.

Is China a socialist or capitalist country? ›

The CCP maintains that despite the co-existence of private capitalists and entrepreneurs with public and collective enterprise, China is not a capitalist country because the party retains control over the direction of the country, maintaining its course of socialist development.

How China's economy grew so fast? ›

The adoption of economic reforms by China in the late 1970s led to a surge in China's economic growth and helped restore China as a major global economic power. Source: The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, Chinese Economic Performance in the Long Run, 960-2030, by Angus Maddison, 2007.

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