en.Wedoany.com Reported - China's National Bureau of Statistics released the national economic performance data for the first half of 2026 on July 15, 2026. The gross domestic product (GDP) for the first half of the year reached 69.57 trillion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 4.7% at constant prices. The value added of industrial enterprises above the designated size grew by 5.4% year-on-year. Among them, the output of 3D printing equipment products surged by 48.5% year-on-year, leading the growth rate among major industrial products.
According to data from the National Bureau of Statistics, by the three major categories, the value added of the mining industry increased by 3.6% year-on-year in the first half of the year, manufacturing grew by 5.6%, and the production and supply of electricity, heat, gas, and water grew by 5.5%. By product, in addition to the 48.5% growth in 3D printing equipment, the output of lithium-ion batteries increased by 39.3% year-on-year, and the output of industrial robots increased by 28.0% year-on-year. High-tech manufacturing maintained a relatively fast growth trend, with the accelerated development of new growth drivers becoming a major highlight of the economic performance in the first half of the year. In June, the value added of industrial enterprises above the designated size increased by 5.3% year-on-year, accelerating by 0.8 percentage points from the previous month.
3D printing (additive manufacturing) is an advanced manufacturing technology that constructs three-dimensional objects by layering materials, complementing traditional subtractive manufacturing (machining) and formative manufacturing (casting, forging). This technology is widely used in fields such as aerospace, medical devices, automotive manufacturing, mold development, and consumer electronics, enabling integrated molding of complex structures, significantly shortening product development cycles, and reducing material consumption. The rapid growth in the output of 3D printing equipment reflects the accelerated trend of China's manufacturing industry transitioning towards intelligence, digitalization, and green development.
From a broader perspective, the strong performance of high-tech manufacturing in the first half of the year aligns with the overall trend of the industrial sector. From January to April 2026, China's cumulative exports of 3D printers reached 2.46 million units, with an export value of 6.106 billion yuan, representing year-on-year increases of 100.3% and 110.4%, respectively. The growth rate of 3D printing equipment output in manufacturing hubs such as Shenzhen was even more pronounced, with a year-on-year increase of 64.7% from January to April. From the first quarter to the first half of the year, the growth rate of 3D printing equipment output remained at a high level of around 50%, indicating a sustained positive development trend for the industry.
The sustained high growth in the output of 3D printing equipment provides an important reference for observing the operational status and industrial upgrading direction of China's high-end equipment manufacturing industry.
