China's consumer market scale tops world measured by purchasing power parity: minister

Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao attends a press conference for the fourth session of the 14th National People's Congress (NPC) on economy in Beijing, capital of China, March 6, 2026. (Xinhua/Li Xin)

BEIJING, March 6 (Xinhua) -- Measured by purchasing power parity, the scale of China's consumer market topped the world during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025), Commerce Minister Wang Wentao told a press conference Friday.

China's per capita GDP rose from 10,000 U.S. dollars to over 13,000 dollars between 2021 and 2025, while household consumption has exhibited some changes in its trend, Wang said at a press conference on the sidelines of the fourth session of the 14th National People's Congress.

More green and smart products entered people's life, and service consumption saw a robust growth, he said.

During the nine-day Spring Festival holiday this year, the growth rate of offline consumption outpaced that of online consumption for the first time in recent years, Wang said, adding that the number of trips and spending on tourism both hit record high, and artificial intelligence was spreading to daily consumption scenarios. ■