Hong Kong economy grows 5.1% in first half, finance chief says
Hong Kong Finance Secretary Paul Chan said the economy grew 5.1% year-on-year in the first half of 2026, the strongest half-year performance in five years. He expressed confidence in achieving the revised full-year growth forecast of 3.5% to 4.5%, citing strong exports and tourism.
Hong Kong's finance secretary, Paul Chan, told the Legislative Council on 7 October that the city's economy grew 5.1 per cent year-on-year in the first half of 2026, the strongest half-year performance in five years. He expressed confidence in achieving the revised full-year forecast of 3.5 to 4.5 per cent real growth.
Chan said the current momentum was hard-won, given a complex and volatile international geopolitical and economic environment, including persistent tensions in the Middle East. He stressed the need to anchor direction for sustained high-quality development in the next stage.
Recent data showed the economy continued to expand in the third quarter. Exports of goods surged 52 per cent year-on-year in July and August combined, marking 19 consecutive months of double-digit growth. Preliminary figures showed visitor arrivals rose 9 per cent year-on-year in the third quarter, reaching nearly 41 million in the first nine months.
Retail sales rose for a 16th consecutive month, growing 5.1 per cent in July and August. The labour market remained broadly stable, with a seasonally adjusted unemployment rate of 3.8 per cent for the June-to-August period. Employment income continued to rise.
In asset markets, property prices rose 7 per cent in 2026, and rents increased 5 per cent. The stock market saw brisk trading, with average daily turnover of HK$272.9 billion in the first nine months, nearly 10 per cent above the 2025 daily average. The initial public offering market was also active, with 118 listings raising HK$388 billion in the first nine months, surpassing the full-year 2025 total.
Chan said 2026 is the first year of the national 15th Five-Year Plan, and the Hong Kong government is proactively aligning with national plans to serve national development while securing the city's long-term growth amid global changes.
