The report shows that artificial intelligence and green low-carbon have become the core driving forces for the high-quality development of the home appliance industry.

The "2026 China Household Appliance Consumption Trend White Paper" released by the China Household Electrical Appliances Association recently shows that artificial intelligence and green low-carbon have become the core driving forces for the high-quality development of the household appliance industry, under the dual assistance of the national policy of trading in old for new and the "AI +" action. The 2026 China Household Appliances and Consumer Electronics Expo was held in Shanghai from March 12th to 15th, as learned from the launch ceremony of the 2026 National Household Appliances, Digital and Smart Product Consumption Season held at the event. The white paper points out that Chinese household appliance consumption is moving from "meeting basic needs" to "pursuing quality experience" and from "single product replacement" to "scene renewal" and "life renewal." In terms of "smart" life, the white paper believes that in 2026, the Chinese household appliance industry, empowered by AI, will demonstrate a paradigm shift from "passive response" to "active intelligence", in-depth integration of health scenes, innovation in green energy-saving technology, household appliance robotization, and the construction of a holistic AI collaborative ecosystem, among other seven major consumer trends. In the pursuit of "green", the white paper indicates that the policy of trading in old for new products effectively guides consumption upgrades through accurate leverage, accelerates the orderly exit of old and inefficient household appliances from the market, promotes the popularization and application of green smart home appliances, and further opens up a virtuous cycle of "consumption renewal - industrial upgrading - circular development." While high energy efficiency, low energy consumption, and recyclability have become industry standards, the socialization and ecologicalization of green product cycles are influencing everyone's consumption concepts. Big data shows that in 2025, the number of consumers buying first-level energy-efficient or water-efficient household appliances increased by 20% compared to the previous year. The implementation of the "two new" policies has cumulatively saved more than 69 million tons of standard coal per year in energy consumption and reduced carbon emissions by more than 170 million tons. Xu Dongsheng, Vice Chairman of China Household Electrical Appliances Association, stated at the launch ceremony that the Chinese household appliance industry will use technological innovation as the engine, green development as the mission, user demand as the guide, continuously promote product iteration, scene innovation, and ecological improvement, and allow more intelligent, lower carbon, and better household appliances to enter thousands of households.