China's total retail sales of goods and services, a major indicator of the country's consumption strength, increased by 2.8 percent year on year in the first five months of 2026, official data showed Tuesday.
The retail sales of services increased by 5.4 percent in the January-May period from a year ago, and that of goods increased by 1.2 percent, according to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
This is the first time the NBS has released the total retail sales of goods and services. Fu Linghui, a spokesman for the agency, explained the significance of the new indicator at a press conference in Beijing on Tuesday.
"At present, we see that consumption situation assessment requires not only goods consumption data but also service consumption data. This time, we released the indicator for total retail sales of consumer goods and services for the first time, which increased by 2.8 percent from January to May. The demand for services is unleashing at an accelerated pace in China, serving as an important force driving consumption growth, so the retail sales of services have become a crucial indicator for observing consumption development," Fu said.
In the first five months, tourism consumption grew rapidly, leading to sustained growth in retail sales of tourism consulting and rental services, as well as transportation services, the data showed.
Consumption related to cultural and sports events also heated up, with retail sales of cultural, sports, and leisure services up by over 10 percent year on year in the period, according to the NBS.
Meanwhile, with the potential of new consumption tapped, retail sales of digital services, digital products, and green products all achieved rapid growth, the NBS said.
Specifically, retail sales of communication and information services grew by over 10 percent in the period, retail sales of wearable smart devices saw notable growth, and the penetration rate of new energy vehicles has exceeded 60 percent for two consecutive months, data showed.
In addition, new business forms continued expansion, with retail sales growth of membership warehouse stores and unmanned stores above the designated size both exceeding 20 percent, according to the NBS.
"Residents are paying more attention to quality and experience when choosing basic necessities, which has driven rapid growth in the retail sales of related goods. From January to May, retail sales of food, clothing, and daily necessities by enterprises above the designated size increased by 8.4 percent, 7.2 percent, and 4.6 percent, respectively, all a lot faster than the overall growth rate of goods retail sales. In general, the consumer market has operated smoothly this year, with continuous structural optimization and accelerated cultivation of new growth drivers," Fu said.
Enterprises above the designated size refer to wholesale enterprises with an annual principal business revenue of 20 million yuan (about 3 million U.S. dollars) or above, retail enterprises with an annual principal business revenue of 5 million yuan or above, and service enterprises with an annual business revenue of 10 million yuan or above.
China's retail sales of goods, services up 2.8 pct in first five months
