A bird's-eye view of Nantong. [Photo by Xu Congjun to en.nantong.gov.cn]

Nantong's GDP reached 663.92 billion yuan ($98.35 billion) in the first half of 2026, up 5.3 percent year-on-year, according to official data released by the city's statistics bureau.

The primary sector contributed 21.55 billion yuan, up 3.1 percent; the secondary sector reached 314.32 billion yuan, up 5.7 percent; and the tertiary sector stood at 328.05 billion yuan, up 5 percent.

The city's value-added industrial output from enterprises above designated size grew 7.9 percent year-on-year. Among the top 10 industries by value-added output, eight recorded gains, with electronics manufacturing up 29.1 percent, shipbuilding up 13.7 percent, and thermal power supply up 13.5 percent. High-tech manufacturing above designated size and digital product manufacturing also saw strong gains, rising 20.8 percent and 20.1 percent, respectively.

The foreign trade of Nantong remained resilient in the first half of this year. The city's total imports and exports reached 222.67 billion yuan, up 11.5 percent year-on-year. Exports totaled 148.91 billion yuan, rising 11.8 percent, while imports stood at 73.76 billion yuan, up 10.8 percent.

The per capita disposable income in Nantong reached 31,268 yuan, up 5 percent, with urban residents at 37,358 yuan, up 4.4 percent, and rural residents at 20,097 yuan, up 5.9 percent.