Beijing, 16 August 2026 – Affluent county-level economies are emerging as pockets of consumer strength while China’s wider domestic-demand recovery remains uneven. Industrial clusters, entrepreneurship and improving services can create spending power outside major cities.
In the first half of 2026, national per-capita consumption expenditure reached 14,836 yuan, up 3.7% in nominal terms and 2.7% after inflation. Rural expenditure rose 4.6%, faster than the 3% increase for urban residents.
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