Beijing: China's total retail sales of goods and services, a major indicator of the country's consumption strength, increased by 2.5% year-on-year in the first eight months of 2026.

According to Qatar News Agency, the National Bureau of Statistics of China (NBS) showed on Tuesday that retail sales of services rose 4.9% year-on-year during the January-August period, outpacing the 1-percent growth in goods sales.

Among service categories, retail sales of communication and information services, tourism consulting and rental services, and cultural, sports, and leisure services posted relatively rapid growth, the NBS added.

In the first eight months, retail sales of consumer goods, including sales of goods and catering revenue, totaled 32.76 trillion yuan (about 4.84 trillion US dollars), up 1.1% year-on-year, the data showed.

Online retail sales of goods and services reached 13.48 trillion yuan, up 4.6%. Of the total, online goods sales rose to 8.42 trillion yuan, while online service sales increased to 5.06 trillion yuan.

In August alone, retail sales of consumer goods stood at 3.98 trillion yuan, up 0.4% year-on-year.