Lithium battery new energy town in Ningde. [Photo by Huang Lingling/ /WeChat ID: gh_3afb6a23e4d9]

According to the Ningde municipal bureau of statistics, after preliminary accounting, the GDP of Ningde in East China's Fujian province in 2023 was 380.733 billion yuan ($52.9 billion), an increase of 8.6 percent over the previous year based on comparable prices, the highest growth rate in Fujian province for five consecutive years.

The per capita disposable income of urban residents rose to 44,639 yuan, a 4.4-percent increase over the previous year, while that of rural residents rose 7.4-percent to 24,819 yuan.

Agricultural production saw steady growth, with the total output value of agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry, and fisheries in the city reaching 71.828 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 4.0 percent. The growth rate of the service industry remained stable, with the added value of the service industry in the city reaching 127.008 billion yuan, an increase of 4.6 percent.

The overall consumer market remained stable, with the total retail sales of consumer goods in the city reaching 934.58 billion yuan, an increase of 2.5 percent. Strong financial credit support was provided, with the balance of domestic and foreign currency loans of financial institutions both surpassing 400 billion yuan.

The industrial sector played a pivotal role in driving growth, with the added value of the city's industry reaching 194.299 billion yuan, a 14.9-percent increase year-on-year and contributing 7.4 percentage points to the city's overall economic growth, representing 86.1 percent of the total economic growth. Industrial enterprises above designated size experienced a 17.1-percent year-on-year increase, maintaining the highest growth rate in the province for six consecutive years.

Furthermore, Ningde significantly increased its innovative capacity, with the added value of high-tech industries in industrial enterprises above designated size increasing by 19.2 percent in 2023, contributing 61.1 percent to the added value growth of industrial enterprises above designated size.

The output value of four leading industries - lithium battery new energy, new energy vehicles, new stainless-steel materials, and copper materials, exceeded 580 billion yuan. Notably, the city's total import and export value surged to 150 billion yuan, a 16.2-percent increase.