Shenzhen's GDP grew by 9.7 percent year on year in the first half of the year (H1) to 1.43 trillion yuan (US$217 billion), ranking third among major cities in the country, the local statistics bureau said Friday.

The H1 GDP posted a two-year average growth rate of 4.8 percent, 0.2 percentage points higher than the first quarter.

The per capita disposable income of local residents topped 37,000 yuan in H1, 4,252 yuan more than the same period last year. The growth rate was higher than that of the local GDP.

The city’s exports grew 19.4 percent year on year from January to June, maintaining the top position in China, while imports went up by 19.2 percent. The export of electrical and mechanical products took up 80 percent of the total export.

In the first six months, among the city's top 10 industries, seven kept a two-digit growth and five witnessed a growth rate of more than 20 percent. The manufacturing of education, cultural and entertainment products, general equipment, and electrical machinery and appliances increased 46.2 percent, 27.7 percent and 25.1 percent, respectively.

During the period, the city’s 20 strategic emerging industrial clusters, including high-end equipment manufacturing, marine economy, digital fashion, new materials, and biopharmaceuticals and health, realized a total of 563 billion yuan in added value, accounting for 39.3 percent of the city’s total GDP.

In H1, the number of registered foreign-funded enterprises increased 48.2 percent. The actual use of foreign investment amounted to US$5.25 billion, up 22.6 percent year on year.

The total retail sales of consumer goods in the first quarter grew 23.2 percent in H1, up 4.9 percent over the same period in 2019 prior to the pandemic.

By the end of June, the total employment population in Shenzhen was 12.4 million, a new record high.