China's industrial output, retail sales growth beat expectations in January-February

BEIJING, March 16 (Reuters) - China's industrial output grew 6.3% in January-February from the same period a year earlier, accelerating from the 5.2% pace in December, official data showed on Monday.

The data released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) beat expectations for a 5.0% increase in a Reuters poll.

Retail sales, a gauge of consumption, rose 2.8% in the first two months, compared with a 0.9% increase in December. Analysts had expected growth of 2.5%.

Fixed asset investment unexpectedly expanded 1.8% versus an expected 2.1% drop. It fell 3.8% in 2025.