China Business Confidence

OECD standardised business confidence indicator (long-term average = 100).

Business Confidence in China decreased to 98.36 points in Aug 2026 from 98.43 points in Jul 2026.

98.36
▼ −0.07Aug 2026 · previous 98.43Monthly · index points · Source: OECD — Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development

China Business Confidence — History

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China Business Confidence — analysis in simple words

Latest reading

Business Confidence in China decreased to 98.36 points in Aug 2026 from 98.43 points in Jul 2026.

It has fallen in each of the last three months.

Recent trend

A year earlier (Aug 2025) it was 98.22, so the latest figure is 0.14 higher.

Over the past five years the average was 98.38, with a range from 97.33 to 99.64. The latest value is below that five-year average.

Historical context

This data series starts in Feb 2000 and has 319 monthly observations. The latest reading is higher than 18% of all of them.

The highest value on record is 105.43 (Sep 2003) and the lowest is 91.88 (Nov 2008). The long-run average is 100.00.

Compared with other countries

Among 45 economies with recent data, China ranks 42nd from the top. The median across all these economies is 99.98, so China is below the typical country.

Among 17 major economies tracked on this site it ranks 16th.

Within East Asia & Pacific (6 economies with data) it ranks 6th; the regional median is 99.67.

Statistics

Latest
98.36Aug 2026
Previous
98.43
5-year average
98.38
Long-run average
100.00since Feb 2000
All-time high
105.43Sep 2003
All-time low
91.88Nov 2008
Observations
319Monthly

Recent Data

PeriodValueChange
Aug 202698.36▼ −0.07
Jul 202698.43▼ −0.23
Jun 202698.66▼ −0.12
May 202698.79▼ −0.03
Apr 202698.82▲ +0.16
Mar 202698.66▲ +0.31
Feb 202698.34▲ +0.09
Jan 202698.26▼ −0.03
Dec 202598.29▲ +0.11
Nov 202598.17▲ +0.04
Oct 202598.13▼ −0.09
Sep 202598.22▼ −0.00
Aug 202598.22▲ +0.00
Jul 202598.22▼ −0.04
Jun 202598.26▼ −0.01
May 202598.27▼ −0.08
Apr 202598.35▼ −0.25
Mar 202598.60▼ −0.02
Feb 202598.62▲ +0.09
Jan 202598.53▼ −0.13
Dec 202498.66▼ −0.10
Nov 202498.75▲ +0.08
Oct 202498.67▲ +0.23
Sep 202498.44▲ +0.24
Aug 202498.20▲ +0.03
Jul 202498.17▼ −0.12
Jun 202498.29▼ −0.23
May 202498.52▼ −0.26
Apr 202498.78▲ +0.02
Mar 202498.76

Business Confidence — China vs Peers

Latest available reading for each economy (periods may differ). China highlighted.

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More China indicators

GDP Annual Growth Rate4.3%Q2 2026Interest Rate3.00%Sep 2026Inflation Rate0.9%Sep 2026Unemployment Rate4.6%2025Government Debt to GDP98.6%2025Balance of Trade$816.2B2025Current Account to GDP3.8%2025GDP$19,498.0B2025GDP Growth Rate0.90%Q2 2026Composite Leading Indicator97.41Sep 2026
China economy overview →   Business Confidence — all countries →

Understanding Business Confidence — a simple guide

What it measures

The OECD standardised business confidence indicator, based on surveys asking companies about production, orders and stocks.

How it is calculated

Survey answers from businesses are combined and standardised by the OECD so that 100 equals the long-term average.

Simple example

A reading of 101.5 means businesses are somewhat more optimistic than their long-run norm.

▲ When it is high or rising

High confidence often comes before more investment and hiring.

▼ When it is low or falling

Low confidence often comes before cuts in production and investment.

Why it matters for the economy and markets

Confident businesses tend to invest and hire more, so this survey often moves ahead of actual production and employment data.

How to read it

100 is the long-term average. Values above 100 mean companies are more optimistic than usual; below 100, more pessimistic.

What to look at alongside it

Industrial production, PMI-type surveys and the leading indicator.

Key terms

Survey indicator
Based on opinions of managers rather than measured output.

Data source

OECD — Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (series OECD business confidence (BCI)), monthly data from Feb 2000 to Aug 2026. Values are shown exactly as published by the source and may be revised later.

How to use the chart

Use the 5Y / 10Y / 25Y / Max buttons to change the time range, or drag the slider under the chart. Hover (or tap) on the line to see the exact value for any period. Dashed lines and hatched bars are IMF projections, not actual data. The “Download CSV” button gives you the full data series.

Frequently asked questions

What is the current business confidence of China?
China business confidence was 98.36 in Aug 2026, compared with 98.43 in the previous period, according to OECD — Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
What is the highest and lowest business confidence of China?
Since Feb 2000, the highest reading was 105.43 (Sep 2003) and the lowest was 91.88 (Nov 2008).
What does business confidence measure?
The OECD standardised business confidence indicator, based on surveys asking companies about production, orders and stocks.

Data are sourced from official international organisations (IMF, World Bank, BIS) and national authorities, and are shown for educational and informational purposes only. They are not investment advice and no recommendation is made. Figures may be revised by the source; IMF figures for the current and future years are projections. This page was last updated on Saturday, October 17, 2026.