Hong Kong records 15th straight quarter of growth as GDP rises 5.2%

Hong Kong's economy experienced robust growth for the 15th consecutive quarter in the third quarter of 2026, with GDP rising by 5.2% year-on-year, according to advance estimates released by the Census and Statistics Department. This impressive growth rate marked the fastest expansion in the period's five-year history, surpassing the 4.2% increase seen in the second quarter and the 5.9% rise in the first quarter.

The government spokesman attributed this robust performance to accelerating growth in exports and solid domestic demand.

Goods exports surged by an impressive 30.4% year-on-year in real terms, while exports of services increased by 4.3%. Private consumption expenditure grew by 2.8%, slightly lower than the 2.9% increase in the previous quarter. However, overall investment expenditure saw a more significant boost of 7.3%. Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po had previously indicated that Hong Kong could record its strongest annual economic growth in five years, raising expectations of further upgrades to the government's growth forecast.

Exports remained strong in the third quarter, with shipments in September surging by 64.9% year-on-year to HK$762.6 billion (US$97.19 billion), the fastest monthly increase in over four decades. This surge was driven by demand for artificial intelligence-related products. Retail sales in September totaled HK$33.4 billion, a 6.4% increase compared to the same month last year, and a 8.3% rise from the previous year.

This growth trend continued, with September marking the 17th consecutive month of retail sales expansion. The growth in sales was broad-based across various retail outlets, reflecting a solid local consumption sentiment, buoyed by higher visitor arrivals and festive buying linked to the Mid-Autumn Festival.