Profits of China’s major industrial firms continued to strengthen in the first five months of 2026, rising 18.8% year-on-year, according to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
The latest growth exceeded the 18.2% year-on-year increase recorded during the January-April period, indicating continued improvement in industrial profitability.
Industrial companies with annual main business revenue of at least 20 million yuan (about US$2.93 million) recorded combined profits of 3.14 trillion yuan between January and May, the NBS said.
In May alone, profits among major industrial enterprises increased 21.1% compared with the same month a year earlier, reflecting stronger earnings momentum across China’s manufacturing and industrial sectors.
The improvement in industrial profits comes amid ongoing efforts to support economic activity, strengthen domestic demand and promote industrial upgrading.
The NBS data covers major industrial enterprises across key sectors, providing a broad measure of corporate profitability and the health of China’s industrial economy.
