China's Q4 GDP grows 4.5% y/y, just ahead of market forecast

BEIJING, Jan 19 (Reuters) - China's economy grew 4.5% in the fourth quarter from a year earlier, official data showed on Monday, a ?touch above analysts' expectations and bang in ?line with the government's annual growth target.

Analysts ?polled by Reuters had ?forecast fourth-quarter ?gross domestic product (GDP) would expand 4.4% from a year ?earlier, slowing from the ?third-quarter's 4.8% pace as consumption and investment dragged. Last quarter's ?growth was the ?slowest ?in three years.

For the whole of 2025, the world's second-largest economy expanded 5.0%, meeting ?the government's annual growth target of around 5%. Analysts had forecast 4.9% growth.

On a quarterly basis, GDP grew 1.2% in October-December, compared with ?a ?forecast 1.0% increase and 1.1% gain in the previous quarter.

China's trade ?surplus reached a record high in 2025 as exporters successfully diversified their markets to fend off pressure from U.S. tariffs, but demand at home further weakened since late ?last year as confidence has remained low amid a prolonged property crisis.

(Reporting by Kevin Yao ?and Ellen Zhang Editing by Shri Navaratnam)