China’s years-long property downturn has carried into 2026, with new-home sales sliding sharply and, by some measures, deteriorating at their fastest pace in recent years.
The country’s top 100 developers reported combined contracted sales of 165.5 billion yuan (US$24 billion) in January, down 27 per cent from a year earlier, according to data released over the weekend by China Real Estate Information Corporation (CRIC).
Stress was particularly acute among offshore borrowers.
The combined…
‘Bleak start’ to 2026 for China’s property sector as sales declines accelerate

