In stark contrast to the smoothness recorded in the past decade, China’s official economic data have been highly volatile in 2020 – reflecting the impact of COVID-19 restrictions on activity in the early months of the year. Historically there has been some scepticism around the accuracy of the official data – inspiring alternative indicators for China’s economy. However, these indicators broadly confirm the path of China’s official data in 2020.

For further details, please see the China Economic Update – December 2020