During the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-25), Shibei district in Qingdao, Shandong province, achieved significant economic growth. In 2025, its GDP reached 131.84 billion yuan ($19.48 billion), up 5.0 percent year-on-year, demonstrating strong resilience.

The service sector, as the main driver of the regional economy, saw its value-added exceed 100 billion yuan, accounting for 80 percent of GDP.

Green development has also gained momentum in Shibei, with energy consumption per unit of GDP falling by 16 percent. Effective investment became a key growth engine, with the number of municipal-level key projects reaching 1.8 times that of the 13th Five-Year Plan period (2016-20).

In 2025, the total retail sales of consumer goods in Shibei district reached 75.09 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 1.9 percent. Fixed asset investment decreased by 6 percent from the previous year, while the share of private investment rose by 0.9 percentage points. Per capita disposable income reached 75,904 yuan, up 4.4 percent.

Shibei district has continued to optimize its modern and advanced industrial system, promoting the replacement of old growth drivers with new ones. Industries such as the digital economy, shipping trade, business services, and modern finance have all been growing steadily.

From 2021-25, the total number of market entities in the district increased by 7.6 percent to 203,000, some 98,000 of which were enterprises, ranking third in Qingdao.

The debut of Sam's Club in Shibei marks a new milestone for the district's retail scene. [Photo/Bandao News]