- China Automotive Manufacturing Capacity Utilization declined during Q2 2026.
- Industrial capacity usage weakened compared with last year.
Official figures released by the China National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) on July 15 showed that industrial enterprises above the designated size recorded a capacity utilization rate of 73.0% during the second quarter of 2026. This represented a decline of 0.6 percentage points compared with the first quarter and a decrease of 1.0 percentage point from the same period a year earlier. Within the broader industrial landscape, the manufacturing sector reported a capacity utilization rate of 73.5%, reflecting the latest production trends across the country's industrial economy.
China's Automotive Manufacturing Capacity in Q2 2026
The automotive manufacturing industry also registered lower utilization levels during the quarter. According to the official statistics, the industry's capacity utilization rate reached 70.8% in Q2 2026, representing a year-over-year decline of 0.5 percentage points. The figures indicate that vehicle production facilities operated below the broader manufacturing sector's average utilization level during the reporting period.
Capacity Utilization Comparison
The following table summarizes the reported capacity utilization rates across China's industrial and automotive manufacturing sectors for the latest reporting periods.
China Industrial and Automotive Capacity Utilization Rates
| Sector | Period | Capacity Utilization | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Industrial Enterprises Above Designated Size | Q2 2026 | 73.0% | -0.6 percentage points vs Q1; -1.0 percentage point y/y |
| Manufacturing Industry | Q2 2026 | 73.5% | Official reported rate |
| Automotive Manufacturing Industry | Q2 2026 | 70.8% | -0.5 percentage points y/y |
| Automotive Manufacturing Industry | H1 2026 | 70.6% | -1.0 percentage point y/y |
H1 2026 Automotive Industry Performance
For the first half of 2026, the automotive manufacturing industry posted a capacity utilization rate of 70.6%. Compared with the corresponding period of the previous year, the figure was lower by 1.0 percentage point. The latest NBS statistics indicate that both the quarterly and half-year results reflected lower utilization levels than those recorded during the same periods in 2025.
Frequently Asked Questions
What was China's automotive manufacturing capacity utilization rate in Q2 2026?
According to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics of China, the automotive manufacturing industry's capacity utilization rate was 70.8% in the second quarter of 2026. This represented a decline of 0.5 percentage points compared with the same quarter of the previous year. The overall manufacturing industry recorded a utilization rate of 73.5%, while industrial enterprises above the designated size reported an overall utilization rate of 73.0% during the same quarter.
How did China's automotive manufacturing capacity utilization perform in the first half of 2026?
During the first half of 2026, the automotive manufacturing industry's capacity utilization rate stood at 70.6%. Official statistics showed that this was 1.0 percentage point lower than the corresponding period a year earlier. The data indicates that utilization levels across the automotive sector remained below the previous year's performance, based on figures published by the National Bureau of Statistics of China.
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