China's 2026 growth target aligns with long-term development goals

An aerial drone photo taken on Dec. 15, 2025, shows vessels loading and unloading containers at Tangshan Port in Tangshan, north China's Hebei province. [Photo/Xinhua]

China has set its 2026 economic growth target at 4.5% to 5%, while pledging to strive for better results in practice, said a government work report submitted to the country's top legislature for deliberation on Thursday.

The target reflects efforts to balance steady growth with high-quality development while keeping long-term development goals in focus.

The growth target is well aligned with China's long-range objectives through 2035. The country aims to raise per capita GDP to the level of a moderately developed country by 2035, a goal set at the fifth plenary session of the 19th Communist Party of China Central Committee.

Shen Danyang, head of the drafting group for this year's government work report and director of the Research Office of the State Council, noted that expert estimates suggest the 2035 target of per capita GDP exceeding $20,000 is achievable if China maintains average annual growth of more than 4.17% over the next decade.

China's average annual economic growth rate of 5.4% during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025) has also laid a solid foundation for future growth, Shen added.

Quan Heng, a deputy to the 14th National People's Congress (NPC) and Party secretary of the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, said the growth target should be viewed within the broader context of China's long-term development goals.

"This year marks the start of the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030). Economic growth measures should not be judged by a single year, but rather evaluated against the vision for 2035 and beyond," Quan said.

Quan noted that China is no longer pursuing rapid growth at all costs, but is placing greater emphasis on high-quality development.

"The core essence of high-quality development lies in faithfully applying the new development philosophy on all fronts, ensuring both effective improvement of economic quality and reasonable growth in quantity," he said.

With China's economic output already exceeding 140 trillion yuan, slower growth rates are consistent with the realities of a large economic base, Shen said. Meanwhile, tasks such as transitioning to new growth drivers, optimizing the industrial structure and improving the balance between supply and demand require time.

Quan also said setting a growth target range helps local governments adopt more realistic and flexible approaches to economic management.

"Regional development in China remains uneven. Some areas have stronger foundations, while others are still undergoing structural adjustment and industrial transformation," he said. "A range allows local governments to proceed based on their own conditions rather than applying a one-size-fits-all approach."

Tian Xuan, an NPC deputy and a Boya Distinguished Professor at Peking University, said the target range is designed to guide local governments and society to focus on the quality of growth rather than a single numerical figure.

"If growth ultimately reaches 5.1% or 5.2%, that would also be welcomed," Tian said. "But still, the range provides flexibility while demonstrating both ambition and pragmatism."