Originally written May 28th, 2022:
Much reporting recently has focused on the economic effects of extended Covid-related restrictions in China. China’s official GDP growth forecast of 5.5% in 2022 is notably below the growth rates seen prior to the pandemic (around +6% to 7% each year from 2015 to 2019, though growth has been slowing over time).
In this analysis, we parse province-level data from the Chinese government to illustrate the geographic pattern in economic activity in the country. As has been noted by analysts in the past, the Chinese economy is fairly bifurcated between the central/southeast portion of the country, and the western/northern regions.
It’s worth noting that the fastest-growing province in 2021 was Hubei, the capital city of which is Wuhan.
Let us know what you think about the future of Chinese economic growth in the comments! Follow @initiatingcoverage for more economic data journalism every day.