Guangdong province, China's largest regional economy, expanded by 3.9 per cent in 2025, falling short of its five per cent target and lagging the national average, reported Caixin.

The country's top manufacturing hub continues to struggle with weak property demand and sluggish consumption.

Governor Meng Fanli told lawmakers the province's gross domestic product rose to CNY14.58 trillion (US$2.1 trillion). The performance placed Guangdong near the bottom among major economic regions, compared with national GDP growth of five per cent.

Once a driver of double-digit growth, Guangdong now contributes about one-tenth of national output but has cooled as it shifts from investment-led expansion to high-tech manufacturing and consumption. From 2021 to 2025, average annual growth was 4.7 per cent, according to the local development and reform commission.

Hong Kong's China Economic Review noted Guangdong's 3.9 per cent growth was weaker than other manufacturing centres. Shandong and Zhejiang both posted 5.5 per cent, while Shanghai and Beijing reported 5.4 per cent.

Caixin said property was the biggest drag, with its share of GDP shrinking to seven per cent, down from 11 per cent in 2020 and 7.4 per cent in 2024. Foreign trade offered some relief, rising 4.4 per cent to CNY9.5 trillion, nearly one-quarter of China's net trade growth.

Shenzhen, long seen as the province's economic star and home to leading tech firms, remains central to Guangdong's future. But the weak 2025 figures highlight challenges for China's manufacturing powerhouse as province-by-province data continues to emerge.