China's service consumption showed robust growth momentum with emerging new models and scenarios in 2025, said China's Vice Minister of Commerce Yan Dong on Monday.
Yan made the statement at a press conference in Beijing in response to media queries on the development of China's service consumption in 2025, highlighting its characteristics and the government's adoption of support measures.
"In 2025, service consumption, characterized by high frequency, strong multiplier effect and sustainable growth, played a vital role in expanding domestic demand and improving the people's wellbeing. The Ministry of Commerce, in earnest implementation of the relevant decisions of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and the State Council, and in bringing into play its role as the leading department for service consumption, worked with other competent central government authorities to introduce support policies, innovate consumption scenarios, and build platforms and carriers to promote prosperous development of the service consumption market," said the vice minister.
Yan outlined three key manifestations of the rapid growth of service consumption in China in the year.
"This is reflected in three aspects. First, service consumption maintained relatively fast growth. In 2025, service retail sales increased by 5.5 percent year on year. Per capita service consumption expenditure by residents rose by 4.5 percent year on year, accounting for 46.1 percent of the per capita consumption expenditure," Yan said.
Yan then highlighted the rapid expansion of service consumption across multiple key service sectors.
"Second, key sectors experienced rapid development. Service retail sales in sectors such as culture, sports and leisure, communications and information, tourism consulting and leasing, and transportation maintained double-digit growth. The per capita expenditure on education, culture and entertainment increased by 9.4 percent year on year. A total of 2,485 tourist train trips were made throughout the year, up 33.6 percent year on year. Catering revenue reached 5.8 trillion yuan (about 812 billion U.S. dollars), a year-on-year increase of 3.2 percent," he said.
The vice minister also emphasized the rising vibrancy of the service consumption market, driven by new trends and models.
"And third, the service consumption market became more vibrant in the year. Regional sports events like the Jiangsu Football City League (Su Super League) and the Zhejiang Basketball Association City League (ZheBA) gained massive popularity. The box office of blockbuster 'Ne Zha 2' achieved a historic breakthrough in China's film history. Trends like 'traveling with sports events' and 'Savoring Cuisine Through Film' emerged. New models and formats such as low-altitude flying, cruise and yacht tours, and tourism performances continued to develop, opening up new space for service consumption growth," he highlighted.
China's service consumption sees robust growth with new trends emerging
