China's GDP grows just 4.3% in Q2 2026, slowest since pandemic lockdowns

China's GDP grew by just 4.3% year-on-year in Q2 2026, the slowest pace since late 2022 when Zero-COVID restrictions paralysed the country. The result fell below the bottom of Beijing's official annual growth target for the first time. National Bureau of Statistics data point to a structural crisis and deepening inequality in the world's second-largest economy.