China's GDP Grew 3% in 2022, Below Official Forecast

03:35 PM @ Tuesday - 17 January, 2023

China's gross domestic product (GDP) in 2022, amid numerous local coronavirus outbreaks and an unstable international situation, grew by three percent on 2021, which was below the official forecast, according to data released on Tuesday by the country's National Bureau of Statistics.

"According to preliminary estimates, the gross domestic product (GDP) was 121,020.7 billion yuan [$18 trillion] in 2022, an increase of 3.0 percent over last year at constant prices," according to the statement.

China's 2022 fourth quarter GDP was flat compared to its third quarter growth and rose 2.9% compared to last year.

China's slowed growth has been attributed to its previous "zero-COVID" policy that saw cities locked down when an outbreak occurred. The government suddenly dropped that policy late in 2022, which allowed the disease to spread through the country easily for the first time since the early stages of the pandemic.

The Chinese economy is expected to rebound in 2023, though the country is still facing decreasing real estate prices and its first population decline in 60 years.

The authorities had expected the country's GDP growth rate to be around 5.5 percent in 2022.  – Sputnik –