The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of Zhuhai reached 250.85 billion yuan ($37.35 billion) in the first three quarters of this year with an upturn of 0.6 percent in the year-on-year growth rate, according to city Statistics Bureau.

The value added of industrial enterprises above designated size dropped 2.6 percent year-on-year to 84.56 billion yuan ($12.6 billion). The rate of decrease was 4.3 percentage points lower than that of the January-June period.

Meanwhile, the output value and value added of the agriculture/forestry/animal husbandry and fishery industries was 7.55 billion yuan ($1.12 billion) and 4.08 billion yuan ($608 million) respectively. Both saw a year-on-year decrease of 2.7 percent, narrowing the decline rate by 2.7 percentage points compared the first half of this year, as agricultural production accelerated recovery.

For the first nine months, value added of the service sector achieved 3.3-percent growth compared with the same period last year. The growth rate rose by 1.9 percentage points from that of the January-June period. Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day holiday gave a further boost to the recovery of local transportation, mail, and tourism.

Vigorous Zhuhai (Zhuhai Free Trade Zone in foreground, Intercity MRT Zhuhai Station at left, and Wanzai area at right, against backdrop of urban Macao) [Photo by Ye Qiuming / Zhuhai Media Group]

Backed by various consumption stimulations, Zhuhai's total retail sales of consumer goods amounted to 65.22 billion yuan ($9.71 billion). Of note, turnover in the wholesales industry recorded a growth rate of 6.5 percent.

Fix-asset investment grew by 11 percent year-on-year to 153.86 billion yuan ($22.9 billion). Investment in major projects reached 137.78 billion yuan ($20.52 billion) -- 78.3 percent of the planned annual figure.

In terms of foreign trade, import-export value plummeted by 9.7 percent to 195.32 billion yuan ($29.08 billion), the decrease rate narrowed by 4.9 percentage points since the first half of this year. Foreign trade, exports, and imports recorded growth rates of 14.1 percent, 14.9 percent, and 12.9 percent in September, respectively.

Zhuhai's general public budget revenue increased by 9.4 percent from the same period last year to 28.68 billion yuan ($4.27 billion) due to a positive fiscal policy, while general public budget expenditure climbed by 5.2 percent to 49.02 billion yuan ($7.3 billion).

The number of local business entities increased by 4.8 percent year-on-year to 369,900 with 35,000 additions in the first three quarters. In all, 23,100 jobs were created, making up 76.9 percent of the annual target. By the end of September, the registered urban unemployment rate was 2.33 percent, below the annual target of 3 percent.

As of late September, RMB deposits in local financial institutions rose by 12.6 percent year-on-year to 923.89 billion yuan ($137.57 billion), while loans grew by 20.1 percent to 724.06 billion yuan ($107.81 billion).