On the left, the bars illustrate China's annual real GDP growth since 1980. It is made of three components, consumption (blue), investment (grey) and net exports (purple). The contribution from consumption has picked up over the years and reduced the role of net exports. The long-term growth rate of China is also slowing down due to a more mature economy and lower population growth.

On the right, the blue line represents the manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) and the grey line represents the services PMI. These indices are compiled from a survey of local businesses by looking at production, orders, prices and employment. They provide a timely snapshot of whether economic activities are accelerating or decelerating.