China's retail sales growth slows to 0.4% in August

In August 2026, China's retail sales grew just 0.4% year-on-year, the slowest pace since growth resumed, missing forecasts and slowing from previous months. Industrial production expanded 5.2%, but investment and consumption stayed weak. The government announced a 360 billion yuan capital injection into banks to support lending. Meanwhile, Australia reported a 1.1% rise in consumer spending in August, with annual growth at 8.7%, driven by higher fuel costs. These contrasting trends reflect different economic conditions in the two countries.