Newly released tax data for the first 11 months of 2025 has pointed to steady growth momentum in China's economy, featuring a rise in consumption bolstered by a series of pro-consumption policies, including an expanded consumer goods trade-in program.
According to tax data released by the State Taxation Administration (STA) on Monday, the consumer goods trade-in program has spurred sales of a wide range of commodities, including telecommunication products and household appliances, with respective retail revenues from the two categories rising 20.3 percent and 26.5 percent year on year in the first 11 months.
The consumption of new energy vehicles also continued to improve, with sales revenue of new-energy passenger vehicles increasing 19.1 percent year on year.
In addition, new forms and scenarios in culture and tourism have continued to thrive, unleashing consumption vitality, according to the SAT.
"In the first 11 months, sales revenue from artistic creation and performances rose 15.6 percent year on year, while revenue related to film screenings increased 19.1 percent. Integrated with tourism, these activities have helped fuel immersive and scenario-based travel consumption, with sales revenue at travel agencies and related services up 10.8 percent, scenic and historic sites up 29.4 percent, and leisure and sightseeing activities up 16.6 percent. By effectively combining local characteristics with personalized services, homestays have better met consumer demand, achieving a 13.1 percent year-on-year growth in sales revenue," Rong Hailou, spokesman for the STA, told a regular press conference on Monday.
Additionally, the sports and health sectors have shown strong consumption momentum. Official data showed that in the first 11 months this year, revenue from sports exhibition services and retail sales of sports goods and equipment respectively rose 29.7 percent and 6.6 percent year on year.
Health-related consumption has remained as a key consumption hotspot. Retail sales of health-support and auxiliary treatment equipment increased 14.1 percent year on year in the first 11 months, and sales revenue from health consultation services rose 11.9 percent over the same period.
"The rising consumption demand among the elderly population has driven diversified and sustained growth in the elderly care service sector. Tax data showed that in the first 11 months, spending on elderly and disabled care services climbed 33.6 percent year on year, while consumption in social care and assistance services grew 9.6 percent, and sanatorium services rose 14.6 percent," said Rong.
Tax data in first 11 months show resilience, vitality of China's consumer market
China's domestically developed large passenger aircraft, the C919, has received 1,200 orders globally, as Tuesday marks its third anniversary since delivery to its first customer, China Eastern Airlines.
By November this year, the aircraft had handled more than 2 million passenger trips, reaching over 40,000 safe operating hours.
The C919 project was launched in 2007 and has undergone a long journey of design, manufacture, flight tests, and eventual commercialization.
Data released by the Chinese government shows that more than 300,000 people from over 1,000 enterprises, universities and institutions in 20 provinces have participated in the development of the C919, achieving many historic breakthroughs.
In November 2015, the first C919 aircraft rolled off the production line in Shanghai. In 2017, the plane conducted a successful maiden flight.
In the following years, the plane carried out various flight tests in different locations and environments to comprehensively verify its safety, reliability and performance.
In September 2022, the C919 received its type certificate from the Civil Aviation Administration of China, marking a key step toward commercial operations.
China Eastern Airlines received the first C919 aircraft delivered worldwide on Dec 9, 2022. It is the first time in China's civil aviation transport market for an indigenously developed mainline jetliner. China Eastern Airlines began commercial operation of the C919 on May 28, 2023.
The aircraft reflects the country's growing capabilities in the global aviation manufacturing industry.
"I felt quite different piloting China's homegrown C919 jet for the first time. Because the aircraft has used many new technologies, such as a new flight control system and the Fly-by-Wire system. It can provide more intuitive feedback to our pilots (making it easier for us to operate the aircraft)," said Lu Ling, pilot with China Southern Airlines' branch in central China's Hunan Province.
"Since the C919 made its maiden flight in China's central Hunan Province, as of November 30, it has completed 952 flights, carrying more than 117,000 passengers," said Du Haibo, deputy general manager of the Hunan branch of China Southern Airlines.
Three of China's major airlines are currently operating the C919, with flying routes linking dozens of major Chinese cities, including Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou.
A report released by the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China -- developer of the C919 -- shows that by 2043, China's civil aviation fleet will reach over 10,000 aircraft, accounting for 20.6 percent of the global passenger aircraft fleet.
By 2041, China is expected to be the world's largest single-country civil aviation market, said the forecast.
China's homegrown C919 aircraft marks 3rd delivery anniversary with 1,200 global orders
