HONG KONG (AP) — China's economy expanded at an annual rate of 4.6% in the July-September quarter, the government said Friday, in the latest evidence that recent efforts to rev up growth have yet to take hold.

China's economy grew slightly quicker than expected in the third quarter, but a prolonged property downturn and weak consumption remain a drag on activity, maintaining pressure on policymakers as they consider more stimulus steps to revitalise growth.

China's National Bureau of Statistics on Friday reported third-quarter GDP growth of 4.6% year on year, slightly exceeding the 4.5% expected by economists polled by Reuters. Other data also released on Friday,

China has reported the lowest quarterly economic growth since the middle of last year, moving farther away from the 2024 target and heaping additional pressure on policymakers. The world’s second-largest economy grew in the July-September period by 4.

China is expected to post its slowest growth in a year and a half on Friday, as Beijing struggles to steady an economy shaken by sluggish spending and persistent property sector woes. That would be down from 4.