A technician at a smart spinning enterprise maintains automatic winding production equipment in Jimo District of Qingdao City, east China's Shandong Province, on March 25, 2025. (Xinhua/Li Ziheng)

In 2025, Shandong Province achieved a full-year regional GDP of 10.3 trillion yuan ($1.48 trillion), representing a year-on-year growth of 5.5 percent, a milestone that marks Shandong has become the third province in China — and the first in northern China — to surpass 10 trillion yuan in GDP, according to data released during a press conference held by Shandong government on Friday.

According to the press conference, the contribution of the tertiary industry or services sector to economic growth became more prominent. For the full year, it generated added value of 5.59 trillion yuan, up 6.1 percent year-on-year. From January to November, operating revenue of services enterprises grew by 6.0 percent, with that in scientific research and technical services increasing by 8.4 percent.

The secondary industry generated added value of 4.05 trillion yuan, up 5.0 percent year-on-year, with that of equipment manufacturing increasing 11.4 percent. Within the sector, key industries showed strong performance, as the automotive industry grew by 16.5 percent, and electrical machinery and equipment manufacturing by 12.5 percent, official data showed.

Shandong is also a major agricultural province in China. In 2025, the value added of the primary industry for the full year reached 677.5 billion yuan, up 4.0 percent year-on-year. Total grain output remained stable above 110 billion jin (55 billion kilograms) for five consecutive years, reaching 114.21 billion jin last year.

Shandong's GDP surpassing 10 trillion yuan has increased the number of provinces in China with GDP exceeding 10 trillion yuan to three, forming a leading pattern headed by South China's Guangdong, East China's Jiangsu, and Shandong. As the first 10-trillion-yuan province in northern China, Shandong's development not only consolidates its position as a key growth pole in the northern region's economy but also provides a practical model for promoting coordinated regional development, stcn.com reported.

Global Times