China saw a steady consumption growth in the first three quarters this year, supported by consumption-boosting policies and new consumption channels.
According to data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), China's retail sales of consumer goods went up 4.5 percent year on year in the first three quarters of 2025, totaling 36.5877 trillion yuan (about 5.16 trillion U.S. dollars). The growth rate was 1.2 percentage points higher than that during the same period last year.
From January to September, retail sales of consumer goods in urban areas rose 4.4 percent year on year, while retail sales in rural areas expanded 4.6 percent year on year.
"The per capita disposable income of rural residents increased by six percent in the first three quarters, 1.5-percentage point higher than that of urban residents and also higher than the national average. Supported by this income growth, rural consumer demand is steadily being unleashed," said Zou Yunhan, deputy director of the macroeconomic research office at the State Information Center of the National Development and Reform Commission.
Online retail sales climbed 9.8 percent from the previous year in the first nine months, edging up 0.2 percentage points from the Jan-Aug growth rate, the official data showed.
Green consumption also saw robust growth, led by strong sales of high-efficiency home appliances.
The wide application of "artificial intelligence + consumption" and new technologies help drive demand and support industrial upgrades, according to Zou.
"In the first three quarters, China's consumption showed a steady and robust upward trend. Ongoing policy incentives, accelerated innovation in business models, and new formats have further boosted consumer enthusiasm, and also driven continued transformation and upgrading on the production side. These have better met public demand for high-quality and diversified consumption, injecting strong momentum into our economic growth," said Zou.
China's retail sales up 4.5 pct in first three quarters
