The key gauge of consumer demand grew 6.4 percent year on year in May, according to data published by the National Bureau of Statistics.
The figure was sharply up from April’s 5.1 percent increase and beat the 4.9 percent growth forecast in a Bloomberg survey of economists.
Spokesperson for the National Bureau of Statistics, Fu Linghui, said the rise was spurred by online shopping campaigns.
“This year’s 618 online retail promotion campaign was launched on May 13th. Coupled with the national policy of consumer trading-in programmes, it has accelerated the sales of online retail products,” he said
Latest data also showed industrial production grew a 5.8 percent in May when compared to a year ago.
Commercial property prices in a representative group of 70 cities fell month on month in May, reflecting continued consumer caution, the bureau said.
The surveyed unemployment rate edged down to 5 percent in May from 5.1 percent the previous month.
The bureau said the economy “maintained stability” last month as authorities “stepped up the implementation of more proactive and effective macro policies”.
But it added that “there are still many unstable and uncertain external factors, and the internal momentum for expanding domestic demand needs to be further strengthened”.
China is targeting economic growth of around 5 percent this year. (Additional reporting by AFP)
