Conducting China market research can be very challenging for foreign companies, due to the shortage of reliable information available in the English language.
From researching many topics for our articles, we have however found some websites which we go back to time and again, and decided it would be a good idea to share these with our readers.
If you are searching for specific information about a certain industry or a facet of Chinese society these sources may not be for you, but if you are looking for more "high level" data these China market research websites should be of use.
China Market Research Data Sources
In no particular order, these are our top 6 English language websites for carrying out China market research:
1. Hong Kong Trade Development Council
- website: china-trade-research.hktdc.com
- type: Hong Kong statutory body
- best for:
- detailed information on Chinese provinces and cities
- information on Chinese policies such as high-tech zones, free trade zones and the "One Belt, One Road" initiative
- market-specific reports
2. National Bureau of Statistics of China
- website: data.stats.gov.cn/english/index
- type: official government statistics
- best for:
- offers a huge range of official statistics
- impressive data mapping functionality
- data for different China regions
- much improved website with good navigation
3. Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
- website: data.oecd.org/china-people-s-republic-of
- type: intergovernmental economic organization
- best for:
- key indicators from a wide range of topics
- nicely presented statistics in graphical form
- easy to make comparisons with other countries
4. The World Bank
- website: data.worldbank.org/country/china
- type: international financial institution
- best for:
- data with a focus on development
- clear explanations of methodology and data sources
5. United Nations Data
- website: data.un.org
- type: intergovernmental organization
- best for:
- a straightforward overview of key indicators
- easy to compare indicators between countries
6. Ministry of Commerce
- website: english.mofcom.gov.cn/article/statistic
- type: official government statistics
- best for:
- economic reports on China's imports & exports, foreign investment, foreign trade and regional trade
- getting the latest data, as many reports updated monthly
Also Worth a Mention:
Panjiva
Thanks to their tie-up with Chinese customs, this global trade data platform has impressive data available about the imports and exports made by Chinese companies - unfortunately though you need to subscribe to access this data and accounts aren't cheap.
