Recently, the China Construction Industry Association released the “Statistical Analysis of Construction Industry Development in 2025.” In 2025, the national construction industry resolutely implemented the decisions and arrangements of the Party Central Committee and the State Council, pursued practical and effective work, overcame difficulties, vigorously promoted smart and green construction, fostered a modernized construction industry chain, and achieved new successes in advancing high-quality development of the construction sector.

 

In 2025, construction enterprises nationwide—defined as general and specialized contractors holding qualification certificates, excluding labor-subcontracting firms (the same applies hereinafter)—recorded a total output value of RMB 30,381.833 billion, down 5.43% year on year; completed project output value reached RMB 12,164.888 billion, a decrease of 10.05% year on year; the total value of contracts signed amounted to RMB 69,904.493 billion, down 3.24% year on year, of which newly signed contract value was RMB 31,532.749 billion, a decline of 5.51% year on year; the area under construction for residential buildings totaled 11.352 billion square meters, a year-on-year reduction of 15.03%; and the area of completed residential buildings reached 2.951 billion square meters, down 12.02% year on year. As of the end of 2025, there were 168,222 construction enterprises nationwide engaged in construction activities, up 0.21% year on year; the average number of employees directly involved in production and business operations was 51.1489 million, a year-on-year decrease of 12.97%; and labor productivity, calculated on the basis of total output value, stood at RMB 593,989 per person, an increase of 8.67% year on year.

 

I. Overview of the National Construction Industry in 2025

(1) The value added of the construction industry accounts for 6.16% of GDP, underscoring its still-stable position as a pillar industry.

According to preliminary calculations, China’s GDP for the entire year of 2025 totaled RMB 140.18792 trillion, representing a 5.0% increase over the previous year on a constant-price basis. The construction sector as a whole recorded an added value of RMB 8.64251 trillion for the year, down 1.1% from the previous year on a constant-price basis—a growth rate that was 3.9 percentage points lower than that of GDP (Figure 1).

Figure 1: Gross Domestic Product, Value Added of the Construction Industry, and Growth Rates, 2016–2025

 

Since 2016, the value added of the construction industry has consistently accounted for more than 6% of GDP, reaching 6.16% in 2025 (Figure 2), thereby underscoring the sector’s enduring status as a pillar industry of the national economy.

Figure 2: Share of Value Added in the Construction Industry in GDP, 2016–2025

 

(2) Total output value of the construction industry declined; both completed project output value and output value generated in other provinces decreased concurrently.

In recent years, as the production and operational scale of China’s construction industry enterprises has continued to expand, the sector’s total output value has maintained steady growth, surpassing RMB 32 trillion in 2024. However, in 2025, the total output value of the construction industry declined for the first time, reaching RMB 30,381.833 billion, a decrease of 5.43% compared with the previous year. The growth rate of the sector’s total output value fell by 7.61 percentage points from the previous year, marking the fourth consecutive year of decline (Figure 3).

Figure 3: Total Output Value and Growth Rate of the National Construction Industry, 2016–2025

 

In 2025, the construction industry’s completed output value totaled RMB 12.164888 trillion, a decrease of 10.05% from the previous year, with the growth rate falling by 8.4 percentage points compared with the prior year—a fourth consecutive annual decline (Figure 4). Over the past decade, the output value of construction projects completed in other provinces has grown in tandem with the industry’s total output value, surpassing RMB 11 trillion in 2024. However, in 2025, the output value of construction projects completed outside the home province declined to RMB 9.056478 trillion, down 18.62% from the previous year. In recent years, the outward orientation of construction firms has fluctuated between 34% and 37%, but fell to 29.81% in 2025 (Figure 5).

Figure 4: National Construction Industry Completed Output Value and Growth Rate, 2016–2025

 

Figure 5: National Construction Industry Export Intensity, Output Value Generated in Other Provinces, and Growth Rates, 2016–2025

 

(3) The average number of employees directly engaged in production and business operations in the construction industry has declined substantially, while the number of enterprises has increased slightly and labor productivity has risen.

In 2025, the average number of people directly engaged in production and business activities in the construction industry was 51.1489 million, a decrease of 7.6247 million from the previous year, representing a decline of 12.97% (Figure 6).

Figure 6: Trend in the Average Number of Employees Directly Engaged in Production and Business Operations in the Construction Industry, 2016–2025

 

As of the end of 2025, there were a total of 168,222 construction enterprises nationwide, an increase of 351 from the previous year, representing a growth rate of 0.21%. This marks the third consecutive year of decelerating growth (Figure 7).

Figure 7: Number and Growth Rate of Construction Enterprises, 2016–2025

 

In 2025, labor productivity, measured by the total output value of the construction industry, reached RMB 593,989 per person, an increase of 8.67% over the previous year (Figure 8).

Figure 8: Construction Industry Labor Productivity and Growth Rate, Measured by Total Output Value, 2016–2025

 

(4) Both the total value of contracts signed and the value of newly signed contracts in the construction industry have declined, with the share of newly signed contracts falling for the fifth consecutive year.

In 2025, the total value of contracts signed by construction enterprises nationwide amounted to RMB 69,904.493 billion, a decrease of 3.24% from the previous year, marking the second consecutive annual decline. The growth rate fell by 2.37 percentage points compared with the previous year, continuing a four-year downward trend. Among them, the value of newly signed contracts for the year was RMB 31,532.749 billion, down 5.51% from the previous year—a third consecutive annual decline (Figure 9). The share of newly signed contracts in the total contract value stood at 45.11%, a decrease of 1.08 percentage points from the previous year, representing the fifth consecutive annual decline (Figure 10).

Figure 9: Total Contract Value, New Contract Value, and Growth Rate of Construction Enterprises Nationwide, 2016–2025

 

Figure 10: Proportion of New Contract Value Signed by National Construction Enterprises in Total Contract Value, 2016–2025

 

(5) Significant Declines in Construction and Completion Areas of Residential Buildings; Residential Completion Area Accounts for Less Than 60% of Total Completed Building Area

In 2025, the total floor area under construction in China’s construction industry reached 11.352 billion square meters, a decrease of 15.03% compared with the previous year. The completed floor area of residential buildings totaled 2.951 billion square meters, down 12.02% from the previous year. Both the floor area under construction and the completed floor area have declined for four consecutive years (Figure 11).

Figure 11: Construction Area, Completed Area, and Growth Rates of Housing Projects by Construction Enterprises, 2016–2025

 

According to the composition of completed floor area for construction enterprises nationwide, residential buildings account for the largest share at 55.17%; factory and other industrial buildings account for 21.94%; commercial and service premises account for 7.22%; research, education, and medical facilities account for 5.76%; and all other types of buildings together account for less than 5% (Figure 12).

Figure 12: Composition of Completed Housing Floor Area by Construction Enterprises Nationwide in 2025

 

(6) Turnover from overseas contracted projects and the value of newly signed contracts continued to grow.

In 2025, China’s foreign contracted engineering sector recorded total turnover of US$178.82 billion, up 7.74% year on year; the value of newly signed contracts reached US$289.22 billion, an increase of 8.20% over the previous year. Total turnover has grown for four consecutive years, while the value of newly signed contracts has increased for three consecutive years (Figure 13).

Figure 13: China’s Overseas Contracting Engineering Business, 2016–2025

 

In 2025, Chinese enterprises dispatched a total of 428,000 laborers abroad, an increase of 19,000 from the previous year; of these, 136,000 were sent under engineering contracting projects and 292,000 under labor cooperation projects. At year-end, the total number of Chinese laborers working overseas stood at 603,000.

 

II. Development of the Construction Industry in Various Regions in 2025

(1) Jiangsu’s total output value of the construction industry leads the nation by a substantial margin; 21 regions recorded negative growth in their total construction output value.

In 2025, Jiangsu’s construction industry recorded a total output value of RMB 3.430354 trillion, maintaining its commanding lead nationwide. Guangdong, Zhejiang, and Hubei also each posted total output values exceeding RMB 2 trillion, ranking second, third, and fourth, respectively. Together, these four provinces accounted for 33.53% of the nation’s total construction output value. In addition to these four provinces, another nine provinces and municipalities—Shandong, Sichuan, Fujian, Hunan, Henan, Anhui, Beijing, Jiangxi, and Shaanxi—each reported total output values surpassing RMB 1 trillion. Collectively, these 13 regions contributed 76.90% of the national total. With regard to the growth in total output value across regions, ten saw increases, with Qinghai, Hebei, and Henan posting the fastest growth rates at 7.54%, 4.71%, and 2.96%, respectively; meanwhile, 21 regions experienced declines, among which Jiangsu, Liaoning, and Shanghai recorded drops of more than 15% (Figure 14).

Figure 14: Ranking of Total Output Value and Growth Rate of the Construction Industry Across Regions Nationwide in 2025

 

(2) Jiangsu’s construction industry continues to maintain a substantial lead in completed output value; 26 regions experienced negative growth in construction completion output value.

In 2025, Jiangsu’s construction industry recorded a completed output value of RMB 2.301462 trillion, representing a year-on-year decline of 21.28% but still maintaining a commanding lead. Zhejiang’s construction industry posted a completed output value of RMB 1.223758 trillion, down 7.87% from the previous year, placing it in second position. Eight other regions—Guangdong, Hubei, Beijing, Fujian, Shandong, Hunan, Sichuan, and Shanghai—also reported completed output values exceeding RMB 500 billion. Among these, five regions saw growth in completed output value, with Tianjin posting the strongest increase at 24.80%; meanwhile, 26 regions experienced declines, with Hainan, Qinghai, Chongqing, and Heilongjiang all recording drops of more than 25% (Figure 15).

Figure 15: Completed Construction Output Value and Growth Rate by Region in 2025

 

(3) Output value declined in 27 regions that are located in other provinces; Hainan and Tibet recorded growth rates exceeding 60%.

In 2025, Jiangsu’s output value generated in other provinces reached RMB 1.242558 trillion, maintaining its top ranking. Beijing, Hubei, and Fujian followed in second, third, and fourth place, with RMB 844.277 billion, RMB 840.301 billion, and RMB 795.398 billion, respectively. In terms of growth rate, all four regions saw increases in their out-of-province output value, with Hainan and Tibet posting growth rates exceeding 60%. Meanwhile, output value declined in 27 regions; Inner Mongolia experienced a drop of more than 60%, while Jiangsu, Guangxi, and Liaoning each recorded declines of over 30%.

In terms of the outward orientation ratio—defined as the share of construction output generated in other provinces relative to a region’s total construction output—the top three regions remain Beijing, Tianjin, and Shanghai, with ratios of 70.01%, 65.71%, and 51.04%, respectively. Additionally, eight other regions—Fujian, Hubei, Qinghai, Jiangsu, Shaanxi, Shanxi, Hebei, and Hunan—have an outward orientation ratio exceeding 30% (Figure 16).

Figure 16: Total Output Value of the Construction Industry Completed Across Provinces and Export Dependence by Region in 2025

 

(4) Guangdong Continues to Top the List in Total Contract Value; 25 Regions Experience Negative Growth

In 2025, Guangdong’s construction enterprises continued to rank first in total contract value, at RMB 6.848203 trillion, a decrease of 4.78% from the previous year; Hubei ranked second with RMB 5.546516 trillion, down 4.03% year on year. Eight other regions—Jiangsu, Beijing, Sichuan, Zhejiang, Shandong, Shanghai, Fujian, and Hunan—also recorded total contract values exceeding RMB 3 trillion. Among these, six regions saw a slight year-on-year increase in total contract value, while 25 regions experienced a decline, with Tibet, Jiangsu, and Liaoning each posting declines of more than 15% (Figure 17).

Figure 17: Contract Value and Growth Rate of Construction Enterprises in Various Regions in 2025

 

(5) Jiangsu Continues to Top the List in Newly Signed Contract Value; 23 Regions Experience Negative Growth

In 2025, construction firms in Jiangsu Province secured new contracts totaling RMB 2.827619 trillion, a substantial year-on-year decline of 26.07%, yet still ranking first. Hubei’s construction firms recorded new contract value of RMB 2.611198 trillion, down 1.36% from the previous year, placing them second. Guangdong, Shandong, and Zhejiang also each posted new contract values exceeding RMB 2 trillion. Among all regions, eight saw growth in new contract value, with Gansu leading the pack at 13.96%. Meanwhile, 23 regions experienced declines, including Qinghai (down more than 40%), Tibet (down more than 30%), and Jiangsu (down more than 25%).

Figure 18: New Contract Value and Growth Rate of Construction Enterprises in Various Regions in 2025

 

(6) Six provinces have more than 10,000 construction enterprises; in 16 regions, the number of such enterprises has declined.

In 2025, the number of construction enterprises in six provinces—Jiangsu, Shandong, Guangdong, Zhejiang, Sichuan, and Henan—each exceeded 10,000. Another six regions—Anhui, Fujian, Jiangxi, Hubei, Shaanxi, and Liaoning—also had more than 5,000 such enterprises. Enterprise numbers increased in 15 regions, with Shaanxi recording a growth rate of over 20% and Inner Mongolia exceeding 10%. Meanwhile, enterprise numbers declined in 16 regions, with Heilongjiang experiencing a drop of 11.87% (Figure 19).
 

Figure 19: Number and Growth Rate of Construction Enterprises in Each Region in 2025

 

(7) Average number of persons directly engaged in production and business activities declines in 30 regions; Hubei ranks first in labor productivity.

In 2025, 18 regions had an average of more than one million people directly engaged in production and business activities in the construction industry. Jiangsu recorded an average of 7.2668 million such workers, a substantial year-on-year decrease of 27.73%, yet it still maintained a commanding lead. Zhejiang, Fujian, Sichuan, and Guangdong each had more than 3 million such workers on average. Compared with the previous year, Tibet saw an increase of 7,900 in the average number of workers directly engaged in production and business activities, while the remaining 30 regions all experienced declines; specifically, Jiangsu’s figure fell by 2.7884 million, Guangdong’s by 651,200, and Zhejiang’s by 596,300. Five regions—Heilongjiang, Jiangsu, Liaoning, Inner Mongolia, and Ningxia—each reported declines of over 20% in the average number of workers directly engaged in production and business activities (Figure 20).

Figure 20: Average Number of Persons Directly Engaged in Production and Business Activities in the Construction Industry by Region in 2025 and Their Growth Trends

 

In 2025, the top three regions in terms of labor productivity, measured by gross output value of the construction industry, were Hubei, Gansu, and Qinghai. Hubei recorded RMB 925,054 per person, up 9.26% from the previous year; Gansu reached RMB 831,499 per person, an increase of 27.29%; and Qinghai stood at RMB 816,494 per person, up 9.30%. Labor productivity rose in 27 regions, with Heilongjiang posting growth of over 30% and four others—Gansu, Ningxia, Jiangxi, and Shaanxi—experiencing increases of more than 20%. Meanwhile, labor productivity declined in four regions, with Tibet seeing a drop of 19.89% (Figure 21).

Figure 21: Construction Industry Labor Productivity and Growth by Region in 2025

 

(8) Increase in new and completed residential construction area in Hainan; increase in completed residential construction area in four regions.

In 2025, the construction area of residential buildings undertaken by construction enterprises in Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces both exceeded 1 billion square meters, reaching 1.772 billion square meters and 1.347 billion square meters, respectively—down 26.03% and 10.61% from the previous year. In six other regions—Guangdong, Shandong, Fujian, Hubei, Beijing, and Hunan—the construction area of residential buildings surpassed 500 million square meters. Meanwhile, the construction area in Xinjiang and Hainan increased compared with the previous year, rising by 30.89% and 17.69%, respectively; in contrast, the construction area declined in 29 regions, with Tibet, Tianjin, Jilin, Guizhou, Chongqing, Liaoning, and Qinghai all experiencing declines of more than 30% (Figure 22).

Figure 22: Construction Area of Residential Buildings by Construction Enterprises in Various Regions and Their Growth Trends in 2025

 

In 2025, construction enterprises in Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Guangdong ranked first, second, and third, respectively, in terms of completed residential building area, with 501 million square meters, 385 million square meters, and 217 million square meters, representing year-on-year declines of 23.47%, 6.82%, and 7.62%, respectively. In seven other regions—Hunan, Hubei, Fujian, Shandong, Sichuan, Beijing, and Anhui—the total floor area under construction for residential buildings all exceeded 100 million square meters. Meanwhile, Tianjin, Ningxia, Inner Mongolia, and Shanghai saw year-on-year increases in completed residential building area, whereas 27 regions experienced year-on-year declines; among these, Liaoning, Heilongjiang, Chongqing, and Qinghai recorded declines of more than 30%, while Jilin, Jiangsu, Guangxi, and Henan each saw declines exceeding 20% (Figure 23).

Figure 23: Completed Floor Area of Residential Buildings by Construction Enterprises in Various Regions and Their Growth in 2025

 

(9) Rankings of Each Region’s Major Construction Industry Indicators in Terms of Total Value and Growth Rate Nationwide

In 2025, the rankings of each region in terms of the total values and growth rates of key construction-industry indicators nationwide are shown in Table 1 and Table 2, respectively.

Note: All statistical data exclude the Hong Kong and Macao Special Administrative Regions and Taiwan Province.

Data Sources and References:

1 National Bureau of Statistics. National Data (Annual Data, Quarterly Data, Regional Data)

2 China Statistics Press. China Statistical Yearbook (2025)

3 Ministry of Commerce. Brief Statistical Report on China’s Foreign Contracting Engineering Business in 2025

4 Ministry of Commerce. Brief Statistical Report on China’s Foreign Labor Cooperation in 2025

 

Source: Architecture Times