# China’s industrial output growth slowed to 4.1% in April from 5.7% in March.

*business · news · 2026-05-18 · The Economic Times*

## Key points

- China’s industrial output growth slowed to 4.1% in April, missing the 5.9% forecast.
- April retail sales in China rose just 0.2%, sharply below the expected 2% increase.
- Fixed-asset investment in China unexpectedly contracted 1.6% in January-April 2026.
- Economists had forecast a 1.6% expansion in fixed-asset investment, not a contraction.

Synopsis China’s industrial output growth slowed to 4.1% in April from 5.7% in March, missing market expectations of a 5.9% rise, official data showed on Monday. China's industrial output grew 4.1% in April from a year earlier, slowing from the 5.7% pace in ‌March, ⁠official ⁠data showed on Monday. The data released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) missed expectations for a 5.9% increase in ⁠a Reuters ‌poll. Retail sales, a gauge of consumption, ⁠rose just 0.2% in April, slowing sharply from 1.7% in March and were well below forecast centred on a 2% increase. Fixed-asset investment ‌unexpectedly contracted 1.6% in the first four months of 2026, ⁠compared with a 1.7% rise in the January-March period. Economists had predicted a 1.6% expansion. (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel)

**Countries:** China

[Read the full story on The Economic Times](https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/world-news/chinas-april-industrial-output-retail-sales-growth-miss-expectations/articleshow/131165413.cms)

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