In 2021, China’s economy will continue to recover steadily, economic development and epidemic prevention and control will maintain a leading position in the world, the main indicators will achieve the expected goals, fixed assets investment will recover steadily, and the structure will continue to be optimized; The scale of market sales continued to expand, and the consumption structure was optimized and upgraded; The total population has maintained growth and the level of urbanization has steadily increased; The employment situation is generally stable, and the employment situation of migrant workers is constantly improving; Residents’ income continued to grow steadily; Prices in the consumer sector rose moderately.

Continuous optimization of investment structure
Zhai Shanqing, Director of Statistics Department of Fixed Assets Investment of National Bureau of Statistics
In 2021, investment in fixed assets recovered steadily and the structure continued to be optimized. The investment in fixed assets (excluding farmers) was 54,454.7 billion yuan, an increase of 4.9% over the previous year, and the growth rate was 2.0 percentage points higher than that of the previous year; Taking 2019 as the base period, the average growth rate is 3.9% in two years.
The scale of investment in the first and third industries continued to expand.
In 2021, the investment in the primary industry was 1,427.5 billion yuan, an increase of 9.1% over the previous year; The average growth rate was 13.7% in two years, and the growth rate was 0.7 percentage points faster than that from January to November. The investment in the secondary industry was 16,739.5 billion yuan, an increase of 11.3% over the previous year; The average growth rate was 5.8% in two years, and the growth rate was accelerated by 0.6 percentage points. The investment in the tertiary industry was 36,287.7 billion yuan, an increase of 2.1% over the previous year; The average growth rate in two years was 2.7%, and the growth rate dropped by 0.2 percentage points.
Second, the investment in the three major areas has recovered steadily.
In 2021, manufacturing investment increased by 13.5% over the previous year; Average growth of 4.8% in two years. Investment in real estate development increased by 4.4% over the previous year; Average growth of 5.7% in two years. Infrastructure investment increased by 0.4% over the previous year; Average growth of 0.3% in two years.
Third, investment in high-tech industries plays an obvious role.
In 2021, the investment in high-tech industries increased by 17.1% over the previous year, the growth rate was 0.5 percentage points faster than that from January to November, 12.2 percentage points higher than that of the total investment, and the total investment increased by 1.2 percentage points.
Investment in high-tech manufacturing increased by 22.2%, which was the same as that from January to November. Investment in high-tech service industry increased by 7.9%, and the growth rate was 1.5 percentage points faster than that from January to November.
Fourth, the investment in the short-board area of people’s livelihood continued to increase.
In 2021, investment in social fields increased by 10.7% over the previous year. Investment in agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry and fishery increased by 9.3% over the previous year, and the growth rate was 0.1 percentage point faster than that from January to November. Investment in transportation, warehousing and postal services increased by 1.6% over the previous year, and the growth rate was 0.5 percentage points faster than that from January to November. Investment in the production and supply of electricity, heat, gas and water increased by 1.1% over the previous year, and the growth rate was 0.9 percentage points faster than that from January to November.
V. Steady growth of private investment
In 2021, private investment increased by 7.0% over the previous year; The average growth rate in two years was 3.8%, and the growth rate was the same as that from January to November. Among them, private investment in education increased by 24.9%, private investment in manufacturing increased by 14.7%, private investment in infrastructure increased by 12.0%, and private investment in agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry and fishery increased by 9.9%.
The consumer market maintained a recovery trend.
Dong Lihua, Director of the Department of Foreign Trade and Economic Statistics of the National Bureau of Statistics
In 2021, the scale of market sales continued to expand, the consumption structure was optimized and upgraded, and the overall consumer market maintained a recovery trend.
I. The scale of the consumer market has steadily expanded.
In 2021, the total retail sales of social consumer goods was 44.1 trillion yuan, an increase of 12.5% over the previous year and 8% over 2019. After deducting the price factor, the total retail sales of social consumer goods actually increased by 10.7%.
In the first quarter, due to the low base in the same period of last year, the total retail sales of social consumer goods increased by 33.9% year-on-year, with an average growth rate of 4.2% in two years; In the second quarter, the market sales accelerated, and the average growth rate in two years was 0.4 percentage points faster than that in the first quarter; In the third quarter, the two-year average growth rate declined; In the fourth quarter, the consumer market continued to recover, and the total retail sales of social consumer goods increased by 4% on average for two years.
Second, the urban market continued to recover.
In 2021, the retail sales of urban consumer goods increased by 12.5% over the previous year, with an average increase of 3.9% in two years. Quarterly, the urban market in the fourth quarter increased by 3.3% over the same period of last year, with an average growth rate of 3.9% in two years, and the average growth rate was 1 percentage point faster than that in the third quarter. In 2021, the per capita disposable income of rural residents actually increased by 9.7% over the previous year, and the growth rate was 2.6 percentage points higher than that of urban residents.
Third, the retail sales of goods grew steadily
The growth of retail sales of commodities is good. In 2021, the retail sales of commodities increased by 11.8% over the previous year, by 9.2% over 2019, and by 4.5% on average in two years. From the two-year average growth rate, the retail sales of all categories of goods have maintained growth.
In 2021, catering revenue increased by 18.6% compared with the previous year, decreased by 1.1% compared with 2019, and decreased by 0.5% on average in two years. The scale of catering consumption has not yet recovered to the pre-epidemic level. In the fourth quarter, the catering revenue decreased by 0.5% on average for two years, which was 1.1 percentage points narrower than that in the third quarter, and the recovery of catering consumption was accelerated.
Fourth, online consumption maintained rapid growth.
In 2021, the national online retail sales increased by 14.1% over the previous year. Judging from the development of postal express delivery industry closely related to online shopping, driven by the rapid growth of online consumption, the express delivery business volume and business income in 2021 maintained a double-digit rapid growth compared with 2020.
5. The retail sales of basic life commodities are growing well.
Sales of grain, oil, food and daily necessities increased rapidly. In 2021, the retail sales of grain, oil, food and daily necessities of units above designated size increased by 10.8% and 14.4% respectively over the previous year, with an average annual increase of 10.4% and 10.9% respectively.
The level of urbanization has steadily increased.
Wang Pingping, Director of Population and Employment Statistics Department of National Bureau of Statistics.
In 2021, China’s total population maintained growth, the growth rate continued to slow down, the degree of aging further deepened, and the level of urbanization steadily improved.
First, the total population maintained growth.
By the end of 2021, the national population was 1,412.6 million, an increase of 480,000 over the end of 2020; The annual birth population was 10.62 million, a decrease of 1.4 million compared with 2020; The death toll was 10.14 million, an increase of 160,000 compared with 2020.
In 2021, the natural population growth rate will be 0.34‰ , down 1.11 thousandths from 2020. The continuous slowdown in population growth is due to the continuous decline in the number of births, which is mainly affected by two factors: first, the number of women of childbearing age continues to decrease; Second, the fertility level continues to decline. The total fertility rate of women of childbearing age will continue to decline in 2021 due to the change of fertility concept and the delay of the age of first marriage and first childbearing.
Second, the short-term increase in the working-age population
By the end of 2021, the population aged 0-15 was 263.02 million, accounting for 18.6% of the national population. The population aged 16 to 59 is 882.22 million, accounting for 62.5%; The population aged 60 and over is 267.36 million, accounting for 18.9%. Compared with 2020, the population aged 0-15 decreased by 5.28 million, the population aged 16-59 increased by 2.47 million, and the population aged 60 and over and the population aged 65 and over increased by 3.29 million and 9.92 million respectively. The increase in the working-age population aged 16 to 59 is mainly due to the small number of people born in 1961. The proportion of the population aged 60 and over and the population aged 65 and over increased by 0.2 and 0.7 percentage points respectively compared with 2020, and the degree of aging further deepened.
It is predicted that the number and proportion of working-age population will continue the previous downward trend in the future. Although the working-age population tends to decrease, the total number is still nearly 900 million, and the labor resources are still abundant. From the quality point of view, the quality of the working-age population has improved significantly, and the average length of education has increased from 9.67 years in 2010 to 10.75 years in 2020, and the new advantages of talent bonus have gradually emerged.
Third, the level of urbanization has steadily improved.
By the end of 2021, China’s urban resident population reached 914.25 million, an increase of 12.05 million over the end of 2020; The resident population in rural areas was 498.35 million, a decrease of 11.57 million. The urbanization rate of permanent residents was 64.72%, an increase of 0.83 percentage points over the end of 2020.

Employment improvement of key groups
Wang Pingping, Director of Population and Employment Statistics Department of National Bureau of Statistics.
In 2021, with the sustained recovery of the national economy and the implementation of the employment priority policy, the national urban survey unemployment rate was lower than the expected target, and the employment situation was generally stable.
First, the urban survey unemployment rate remained generally stable
In 2021, the average urban unemployment rate was 5.1%, which was lower than the macro-control target of about 5.5%. In the first quarter, affected by the Spring Festival and the epidemic situation in some areas, the urban unemployment rate was relatively high, rising to a high of 5.5% in February. After the holiday, with the stable recovery of enterprise production and operation, the unemployment rate gradually declined. In the second quarter, the urban survey unemployment rate remained in the range of 5.0% to 5.1% in each month; In the third quarter, affected by the graduation season and the epidemic situation in some areas, the unemployment rate fluctuated. With the graduates entering jobs one after another and the impact of the epidemic situation weakened, the urban survey unemployment rate fell back to 4.9% in September. In the fourth quarter, the survey unemployment rate remained in the range of 4.9% to 5.1%.
Second, the overall improvement of the employment situation of key groups
In 2021, various policies and measures to stabilize employment and promote employment continued to be implemented, and the policy of reducing burdens, stabilizing posts and expanding employment continued to be implemented, and all-round employment services continued to exert strength. In the second half of 2021, the unemployment rate of the employed population aged 25 to 59 has been stable below 4.5%, which is lower than the same period of last year.
The employment situation of migrant workers has been continuously improved. After the Spring Festival in 2021, the unemployment rate of foreign agricultural registered population continued to fall, and by December, the unemployment rate of foreign agricultural registered population was 4.6%. By the end of 2021, the number of migrant workers nationwide had reached 292.51 million, an increase of 6.91 million over the end of last year, and it has returned to the same level in 2019. The employment situation of college graduates is generally stable. From June to July, the unemployment rate of young people aged 16 to 24 increased significantly due to the concentrated job hunting of college graduates. After September, with the implementation of graduate work, the youth unemployment rate gradually declined.
Third, employment stability still faces challenges
We must see that employment stability still faces challenges and pressures. Increased downward pressure on the economy will have a certain impact on employment. At the same time, the impact of the epidemic continues, and the production and operation of some industries and enterprises may be affected or impacted. It should also be noted that the number of college graduates will reach 10.76 million in 2022, an increase of 1.67 million over the previous year, with both scale and increment reaching record highs; The long-standing structural contradictions in some employment fields such as "difficulty in recruiting workers" and "difficulty in finding jobs" have not been fundamentally alleviated.
In 2022, it is necessary to continue to strengthen the employment priority policy, promote the implementation of measures to reduce burdens, stabilize posts and expand employment, increase employment assistance for key groups such as college graduates, strengthen vocational skills training, promote entrepreneurship to drive employment, and ensure a stable employment situation.
Residents’ consumption demand is gradually released.
Fang Xiaodan, Director of Household Survey Department of National Bureau of Statistics.
In 2021, the per capita disposable income growth of the national residents is basically synchronized with economic growth, the consumption expenditure of residents continues to recover, and the basic living consumption grows rapidly, realizing the mutual promotion and common progress of steady growth and benefiting people’s livelihood.
First, the per capita disposable income growth of residents is basically in sync with economic growth.
Residents’ income growth is basically synchronized with economic growth. In 2021, the per capita disposable income of the national residents was 35,128 yuan, a nominal increase of 9.1% over the previous year. After deducting the price factor, the per capita disposable income of the national residents actually increased by 8.1%, faster than the per capita GDP growth rate, and the income growth of the residents was basically in sync with the economic growth.
Second, the steady growth of wage income and transfer income lays the foundation for the steady growth of urban and rural residents’ income.
Wage income continued to grow steadily. In 2021, the per capita wage income of the national residents was 19,629 yuan, an increase of 9.6% over the previous year, with an average increase of 6.9% in two years. In terms of urban and rural areas, the per capita wage income of urban residents increased by 8.0%, with an average increase of 5.5% in two years. The per capita wage income of rural residents increased by 14.1%, with an average increase of 9.9% in two years.
Third, residents’ consumption expenditure continued to recover, and basic living consumption continued to grow rapidly.
Consumer spending continued to recover. With the continuous recovery growth of residents’ income, residents’ consumption demand is gradually released, and consumption expenditure keeps a recovery rebound trend. In 2021, the per capita consumption expenditure of the national residents was 24,100 yuan, a nominal increase of 13.6% on the basis of a low base in the previous year; After deducting the price factor, the actual increase was 12.6%.
Basic living consumption continued to grow rapidly. In 2021, the average per capita expenditure on food, tobacco and alcohol in China increased by 8.6% in two years, which was 2.9 percentage points faster than the average growth rate of all consumption expenditure in two years. The implementation of the policy of ensuring supply and stabilizing prices has been continuously strengthened, the food supply in the market is sufficient, and the food consumption of residents continues to grow steadily.
Prices in the consumer sector have risen moderately.
Wang Youfen, Director of Urban Social and Economic Investigation Department of National Bureau of Statistics.
In 2021, people’s livelihood security was strong and effective, the consumer market was generally stable, and CPI rose moderately; Actively respond to the sharp rise in energy and raw material prices, and the PPI rose at a high level.
First, prices in the consumer sector have risen moderately.
The monthly CPI is generally fluctuating upward year-on-year. In 2021, the CPI rose by 0.9%, which was 1.6 percentage points lower than the previous year, and the overall operation was in a reasonable range.
The rise in non-food prices pushed CPI up moderately. In 2021, non-food prices rose by 1.4%, an increase of 1.0 percentage points over the previous year, which affected the increase of CPI by about 1.17 percentage points.
The decline in food prices slows down the increase in CPI. In 2021, the price of food changed from 10.6% in the previous year to 1.4%, which affected the decrease of CPI by about 0.26 percentage points, mainly driven by the change of pork price.
Second, the price in the production field fell back at a high level.
The monthly year-on-year increase of PPI showed a downward trend. In 2021, PPI changed from 1.8% in the previous year to 8.1%.
The structural rise is obvious. In 2021, the price of means of production changed from 2.7% in the previous year to 10.7%, which affected the PPI increase by about 7.97 percentage points, exceeding 98% of the total increase. The price of means of subsistence rose by 0.4%, which was 0.1 percentage points lower than that of the previous year, affecting the PPI to rise by about 0.09 percentage points, and the overall situation was relatively stable.
Input factors boosted PPI. Since 2021, the demand for international commodities has recovered faster than the supply, and with the influence of abundant liquidity and other factors, the prices of crude oil and non-ferrous metals in the international market have risen, pushing up the ex-factory prices of related domestic industries and driving up the PPI.
Tight supply pushes PPI up. In the second half of the year, due to the tight supply and relatively strong demand, the price of coal mining and washing industry rose sharply, and the year-on-year increase expanded from 37.4% in June to 103.7% in October.