In 2022, under the guidance of the Xi Jinping thought on socialism with Chinese characteristics for a new era, Dongguan as a whole studied and thoroughly implemented the spirit of the 20th National Congress, and followed the general principle of making progress while keeping performance stable. In responding to an increasingly complex international environment and sporadic yet frequent COVID-19 outbreak, the municipal government effectively implemented a host of policy measures to stabilize the economy. As new growth drivers gathered pace, the resilience of the local economy was fully demonstrated, and overall economic and social development remained stable.
According to unified calculation of the gross regional product of Guangdong Province, the GDP of Dongguan in 2022 was 1.120032 trillion yuan, up by 0.6% year on year. Of this total, the valued added of the primary industry was 3.65 billion yuan, up by 0.3%, that of the secondary industry was 651.364 billion yuan, up by 0.8%, and that of the tertiary industry was 465.018 billion yuan, up by 0.3%.
I. Agriculture production was stable and the output of animal husbandry and fishery increased steadily
In 2022, total output value of the farming, forestry, animal husbandry and fishery in Dongguan stood at 5.55 billion yuan, up by 0.5% year on year if calculated at comparable prices. Of this total, the output value of animal husbandry was 118 million yuan, up by 39.0%; that of fishery was 1.124 billion yuan, up by 0.6%; that of professional and supporting activities was 168 million yuan, up by 0.1%; that of farming was 4.071 billion yuan, down by 0.8%. In terms of output, both grain and meat production remained stable. Total output of grain increased by 5.9%; that of livestock and poultry increased by 9.2% (of which pork output grew by 22.7%); and that of aquatic products increased by 1.1%.
II. Industrial production operated under pressure, and new growth drivers revitalized development
In 2022, the value added of all industries above the designated size in Dongguan reached 526.739 billion yuan, down by 1.3% year on year. The high-tech industry, in particular, enjoyed robust growth momentum. In terms of the field of development, computer manufacturing was up by 56.6%, special equipment for the electronics industry up by 14.3%, manufacturing of optical fiber, optical cable and lithium ion battery up by 12.9%, and pharmaceutical manufacturing up by 11.3%. In terms of production volume, industrial instruments increased by 157.0%, photovoltaic cells by 71.2%, smart watches by 41.7%, charging piles by 35.6%, and LCD modules by 16.4%. The value added of small and micro enterprises-turned industrial enterprises above the designated size went up by 46.9%.
III. The service sector showed robust growth momentum, and the information service industry grew rapidly
From January to December 2022, the business revenue of service enterprises above the designated size in Dongguan amounted to 184.743 billion yuan, up by 13.5% year on year. Of this total, the business revenue of software and information technology services grew by 120.3%, internet and related services by 37.9%, handling, transportation and warehousing by 7.7%, and scientific research and technical services by 5.9%. In particular, the telecommunication sector continued to expand with annual volume of 21.106 billion yuan, an increase of 16.9%; express delivery enjoyed sound growth momentum in 2022, and the number of express deliveries reached 2.881 billion, a growth of 7.3%.
IV. Fixed-asset investmentscontinued to increase,andinfrastructure investments provided effective support
In 2022, total fixed-asset investments in Dongguan increased by 0.8% year on year. In terms of sectors, infrastructure investment grew by 8.1% with good growth momentum; industrial investment grew by 5.6%, of which manufacturing investment rose by 3.2%; real estate development fell by 7.9%. Investment in modern industries grew faster than the city’s average. Investment in high-tech industries rose by 3.9% (3.1% higher than the city’s average), of which investment in pharmaceutical manufacturing grew by 186.8%; investment in advanced manufacturing increased by 4.9% (4.1% higher than the average level in the city), of which investment in equipment manufacturing increased by 4.5%.
V. The consumer market continued to recover, and automobile consumption improved steadily.
In 2022, total retail sales of consumer goods in Dongguan reached 425.487 billion yuan, a year-on-year growth of 0.4%. When grouped by consumption patterns, retail sales of commodities increased by 0.3%, and income of the catering industry increased by 0.6%. In terms of major commodities, retail sales of automobile enterprises above the designated size rose by 3.2%, indicating continued recovery. Retail sales of upgraded products grew at a faster speed. Retail sales of Chinese and Western medicines, cosmetics, and household appliances increased by 21.1%, 10.7%, and 6.6% respectively.
VI. Fiscal revenue remained stable, and the financial sector performed soundly
In 2022, the general public budget revenue was 76.604 billion yuan, down by 0.5% year on year; the comparable growth after deducting VAT credit refund was 4.1%. General public budget expenditure of local governments totaled 86.358 billion yuan, down by 1.2%. At the end of December, the balance of local and foreign currency deposits in financial institutions was 2.351402 trillion yuan, up by 15.7%, of which the balance of household deposits was 907.189 billion yuan, up by 18.5%. The balance of local and foreign currency loans in financial institutions was 1.678023 trillion yuan, up by 12.4%.
VII. Consumer prices rose modestly
In 2022, the consumer price index (CPI) in Dongguan rose by 2.7% year on year. Of the eight categories of commodities and services, six recorded increasing price index while two recorded falling price index. Specifically, the price index of transportation and communications rose by 7.3%; that of residential commodities and services rose by 0.9%; that of other goods and services rose by 3.5%; that of education, culture and entertainment commodities and services rose by 1.5%; that of everyday commodities and services rose by 2.0%; and that of foodstuff, tobacco, and liquor rose by 2.9%. The price index of health care commodities and services went down by 0.1%, and that of clothing decreased by 1.5%.
In 2022, Dongguan has, on the whole, overcame the impact of factors beyond its expectation and kept the economy generally stable, achieving positive results. But we must also be aware that economic situation in China and abroad remained complex and volatile, and that uncertainties affecting stable economic growth still exist. In the next phase of development, we should take Xi Jinping thought on socialism with Chinese characteristics for a new era as the guide to thoroughly implement the spirit of the 20th National Congress and the deployment of the economic work conferences of the central and provincial Party committees. We will focus on “sci-tech innovation + advanced manufacturing”, and hold municipal leaders accountable for prioritizing the development of manufacturing industry. We will adopt vigorous measures to ensure that polices for stabilizing growth are properly implemented and produce desired results. In doing so, we will be able to improve the quality of development while ensuring reasonable increase in quantity, and accelerate the high-quality development of Dongguan as it emerges as one of the cities with an annual GDP of more than one trillion yuan and a population of over 10 million.
