China's current account surplus widened to $184.3 billion in the first quarter of 2026 from $163.6 billion in the corresponding period of the previous year, a record high for the period, and revised slightly higher from the preliminary estimate $184.1 billion. The goods account surplus widened to $187.9 billion from $178.2 amid a 14.6% jump in exports to $1.061 trillion in the period, as lingering weakness in the Chinese economy resulted in manufacturing capacity to continue outgrowing demand, driving producers to rely on foreign markets for sales. In turn, the services deficit was relatively unchanged at $59.6 billion (vs $59.3 billion in Q1 2025). Meanwhile, the primary income account deficit narrowed to $7.4 billion from $15.5 billion and the secondary income surplus inched higher to $3.8 billion from $2.8 billion. source: State Administration of Foreign Exchange, China

China recorded a Current Account surplus of 1843 USD Hundred Million in the first quarter of 2026. Current Account in China averaged 526.01 USD Hundred Million from 1998 until 2026, reaching an all time high of 2438.21 USD Hundred Million in the fourth quarter of 2025 and a record low of -569.56 USD Hundred Million in the first quarter of 2020. This page provides - China Current Account - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news. China Current Account - data, historical chart, forecasts and calendar of releases - was last updated on June of 2026.

China recorded a Current Account surplus of 1843 USD Hundred Million in the first quarter of 2026. Current Account in China is expected to be 960.00 USD Hundred Million by the end of this quarter, according to Trading Economics global macro models and analysts expectations. In the long-term, the China Current Account is projected to trend around 940.00 USD Hundred Million in 2027 and 960.00 USD Hundred Million in 2028, according to our econometric models.



Calendar GMT Reference Actual Previous Consensus TEForecast
2026-05-15 09:10 AM
Current Account Prel
Q1 $184.1B $243.8B $215.0B
2026-06-26 09:00 AM
Current Account Final
Q1 $184.3B $243.8B $184.1B
2026-08-14 09:00 AM
Current Account Prel
Q2 $ 96B



Components Last Previous Unit Reference
Current Account Goods 2474.00 3102.75 USD Hundred Million Mar 2026
Current Account Services -596.00 -485.21 USD Hundred Million Mar 2026

Related Last Previous Unit Reference
Balance of Trade 105.43 84.80 USD Billion May 2026
Capital Flows -1841.00 -2348.12 USD Hundred Million Mar 2026
Current Account 1843.00 2438.21 USD Hundred Million Mar 2026
Current Account to GDP 3.70 2.20 percent of GDP Dec 2025
Direct Investment Liabilities 343.00 463.54 USD Hundred Million Mar 2026
Exports 376.78 359.44 USD Billion May 2026
External Debt 23288.00 24198.00 USD Hundred Million Dec 2025
Imports 271.35 274.62 USD Billion May 2026


China Current Account
Current Account is the sum of the balance of trade (exports minus imports of goods and services), net factor income (such as interest and dividends) and net transfer payments (such as foreign aid).
Actual Previous Highest Lowest Dates Unit Frequency
1843.00 2438.21 2438.21 -569.56 1998 - 2026 USD Hundred Million Quarterly
Current Prices, NSA

News Stream
China Current Account Surplus Widens to Q1 Record
China's current account surplus widened to $184.3 billion in the first quarter of 2026 from $163.6 billion in the corresponding period of the previous year, a record high for the period, and revised slightly higher from the preliminary estimate $184.1 billion. The goods account surplus widened to $187.9 billion from $178.2 amid a 14.6% jump in exports to $1.061 trillion in the period, as lingering weakness in the Chinese economy resulted in manufacturing capacity to continue outgrowing demand, driving producers to rely on foreign markets for sales. In turn, the services deficit was relatively unchanged at $59.6 billion (vs $59.3 billion in Q1 2025). Meanwhile, the primary income account deficit narrowed to $7.4 billion from $15.5 billion and the secondary income surplus inched higher to $3.8 billion from $2.8 billion.
2026-06-26
China Current Account Surplus Widens in Q1 2026
China’s current account surplus widened to $184.1 billion in Q1 2026, up from $163.6 billion in the same period last year, according to preliminary estimates. The goods surplus remained nearly flat at $247.4 billion, as exports rose 12.2% while imports surged 17.2%. The secondary income surplus increased to $3.9 billion from $2.9 billion. Meanwhile, the services deficit narrowed to $59.6 billion from $71.6 billion, and the primary income deficit shrank to $7.5 billion from $14.8 billion.
2026-05-15
China’s 2025 Current Account Surplus Hits Record Highs
China’s current account surplus surged to an unprecedented $243.8 billion in Q4 2025, up from $173.1 billion a year earlier and above the preliminary estimate of $242.1 billion. The goods surplus reached a historic $310.3 billion, driven by a 6.5% rise in exports to $1.03 trillion, defying US tariffs, while imports grew just 1.9% to $718.2 billion. The secondary income surplus also increased to $6.9 billion from $4.9 billion in Q4 2024. Meanwhile, the services deficit narrowed to $48.5 billion (from $56.1 billion), and the primary income deficit shrank to $24.9 billion (from $36.6 billion). For the full year, the surplus soared to a record $735.0 billion, up from $462.3 billion in 2024.
2026-03-27